Start the countdown to MolFest, the POP culture festival which will be held in Molfetta on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June 2024, free entry. The city is ready to transform into a open-air playground in which imagination turns into reality and the most evocative locations in the city center will be colored with dreams, magic and… kindness. There will also be sirens in the spaces of the Sant’Andrea landing place. Between mythology and reality, they will land on the quay, coloring the scenery with their picturesque and colorful tails, moving sinuous between the sea and the shoreline. If you can’t resist their call, you can approach them to ask to take a selfie or try one of their spectacular queues.
“Joining forces is a beginning, managing to keep them united is progress; growing together is true success”, these are the words of Gianluca Del Carlo, creator of MolFest. Strongly desired by the Municipality of Molfetta, the festival has in fact as its main objective valorisation of local culturethanks also to the massive involvement of 60 associations that will produce over 100 events distributed throughout the historic center, in a riot of experiential activities offered to the public, with the aim of developing a virtuous path that activates powerful synergies in the area.
MolFest is the new creation of CFC circuit (Comics Festival Community), and it will be a great opportunity for leisure and emotional enrichment, a place where for two days, opening from 4.30pm until midnight, everyone, from the oldest to the youngest, will have the opportunity to have fun, discover new things from the pop world and immerse themselves in the “kindness” that this event will offer.
Leading the project is the STEP working group, made up of experts in the entertainment sector, a point of reference for the planning, organization and realization of large events: “We take up the word ‘kindness’, the theme of the event, to indicate what for us and our work team was the first thought we had in meeting and getting to know the Municipality of Molfetta and the local associations” – declare Sandro Giacomelli, Tania Ferri and Elisabetta De Luca of STEP (Stage Event Productions) – “Kindness which was and is the strong point of the great organizational machine which, with work in perfect synergy and in complete agreement, has allowed the implementation of a project which we care about in a particular way. We therefore thank all the associations, the Municipality and the citizens for their welcome and precious collaboration. Our Gianluca Del Carlo, together with the entire CFC family, has worked and is carrying forward, in complete harmony with the territory, a project that has all the characteristics of an event with an important positioning for artistic and cultural contents, geographical position, innovation. We are certain that this first edition will be brilliant, exciting and fun for everyone.”
The image of the poster, which accompanies the theme of the event, is entrusted to Ennio Bufi, an artist from Molfetta: “In 1938 the magazine ‘Action Comics n°1’ was printed and in America the myth began” – Bufi narrates describing his work, specifying how “resuming its iconography, this poster intends to be an invitation to the city to start again and to believe in itself, because superheroes wouldn’t need a mask if they didn’t have to hide from people’s judgement”.
The Music Area of the festival is ready to bring on stage the ANIMEniacsCorp, veterans of the latest edition of Italia’s Got Talent, all the kindness of Gisella Cozzo, the Crimson Dojo, a rap-metal band that has been performing successfully throughout the Peninsula, the famous Apulian cartoon cover band Ipergalattici, Andrea Rock and Rosko’s and, of course, the queen of TV theme songs Cristina D’Avena, guest of honor on the final day.
It is necessary to mention Simone Bianchi, known throughout the world as an excellence in drawing in the American comics industry, who will be at the center of a special activity in Artist Alley, and prof. Giovanni Covone, winner of the 2024 Asimov Prize with his “Other lands” published by Harper Collins, who within the Fiction and Fantasy Area will tell us about the relationship between the Simpsons and astronomy. It is essential to point out the presence of Ubaldo Pantani, well known for his participation in “Che tempo che fa” and his hilarious imitations in “Gialappa’s Show”, and Paolo Camilli, winner of the “Screen Actors Guild Award 2023” for the best cast together in a drama series with the second season of “The White Lotus”. Both will be guests of the Movie Area, curated by Andrea Bedeschi, presenter of cinema and TV events at Lucca Comics & Games, as well as editorial supervisor of BadTaste.it, the leading Italian site on the world of entertainment. Added to these are the voice actors Alex Polidori (Tom Holland’s Spider-Man), Mirko Cannella (Barry Keoghan in Saltburn and The Spirits of the Island) and Massimo Triggiani (Wyatt Russell in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Jacob Anderson in The Throne of Swords). Among the guests there is also Pasquale Facchini from Molfetta, game designer, puzzler and ludologist, curator of the gamification of the contents of the TV series “Braccialetti Rossi”.
Well-known names from national journalism were present, including Fabrizio Basso, journalist and music critic of Skytg24 and Maurizio Di Fazio, author and journalist of the L’Espresso group, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Vanity Fair. Another important presence from the world of the national press is Leonardo Metalli, special correspondent, author and TV presenter currently working for the culture editorial team of TG1, who will present his docu-film “I want to live like this… and happy singing!” about the true life and friends of the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
The program of the three stages will also be enriched by the activities of Comics&Science, a project of scientific communication in comics by CNR Edizioni: led by Jacopo Peretti, the authors Diego Cajelli and Andrea Scoppetta will propose an engaging panel aimed at the public on the challenge “Science Fiction vs Fantasy”.
It’s impossible to mention them all, but we remember the collaboration with Il Volta, one of the most important European cosplay photography events, the mega Fantasy-themed Treasure Hunt, curated by Splash Comics with the involvement of the Lega Navale section of Molfetta, which will end at ‘Sant’Andrea’s Landing with the emotions of the Medieval Fantasy Village, the Esports Area developed in the Sala dei Templari by Qlash, and the Game area by PLAY On Tour on the Seminary Quay, where companies such as Dice and Bricks, Asmodee and Giochi Uniti will be the playful soul of the event. Absolutely worth trying, at the Giardino dei Mammoni, is the experience of the sensory tunnel conceived and designed by the Lega del Filo d’Oro to try to immerse yourself in the perceptions of the five senses.
But it doesn’t end here: in an area entirely dedicated to the oriental world, located in the Villa Comunale, Kpop will arrive, with the best Apulian crews coordinated by KST, one of the largest associations organizing contests and events dedicated to Kpop and Korea South.
Still to underline the work of the creators of fantastic objects in the props exhibitions included in the Torrione Passari, with a real “Behind the scenes of the Game of Thrones”, thanks to the GOT Puglia group, which will allow you to closely observe the costumes, the props and even the dragon eggs present in the famous TV series based on the novel by George Martin, complete with “souvenir photos” to take on the infamous throne.
Exciting and mysterious, the Sirens will transform MolFest into an event divided between mythology and reality in the splendid setting of the Sant’Andrea landing place. Also worth mentioning is the display of famous cars from the world of cinema and TV series and the parades that will color the streets of the center where the long-awaited market exhibition will take place in Corso Dante and Piazza Garibaldi.
And more airsoft with the One Shot association and the world of Marvel and Ghostbusters by Real Avengers Italy, the magic and inventiveness of Cosplay with Apulia cosplay, Dragonball Puglia, GOT Puglia, Jojo_Bizzarri_Raduni and Behind Animation which will manage the eagerly awaited cosplay competition. Particular attention is paid to social issues, with the Disney princess themed activity organized by Pandora – Anti-violence centre. And then traveling music with Valkanorr and Miwa and its members… It is really impossible to mention all the entertainment proposals, which is precisely why the public is invited to experience them, on a journey through art, theatre, and traveling shows for all tastes.
The influencers Leonardo Decarli, Bertra, Daniele Calise and Lavalend will talk about the festival together with the Crossover Universo Nerd team.
Great confidence in the event has been shown by national partners including Echo Group, a leading company in the organization of events linked to the world of cinema, which will bring preview trailers of new summer cinema events to MolFest; the gadget giant Maxdevil, which will bring its experience giving each visitor the opportunity to take home a souvenir of the festival; Veronesi Foundation, which will offer visitors the gaming experience based on the web game “Smogville – Until the Last Breath”, allowing them to understand the link between air pollution and health.
The marketing and events agency Holly Agency also supports the staff for the organizational part.
The creator of the project, Gianluca Del Carlo, Production Director and Project Manager of the companies STEP and LEG, enthusiastically concludes: “It is always exciting to work on a new project that has the greatest ambition of developing local synergies in an event that is captivating for the general public. The response of the Municipality and all the associations in the area has been truly positive and we believe that there are the premises for a beautiful shared path. Developing this synergy in the medium-long term is the true objective of the work… how? With kindness!”.
