The news that we will see in Molfetta on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June told by Nicola D’Olivo, responsible for cosplay activities at the festival for CFC and STEP
MOLFETTA – The first edition of MolFest, the POP culture festival, with free entry, wanted by the Municipality of Molfetta and organized by STEP, will take place next weekend (29 and 30 June) in Molfetta (Ba).
The enhancement of the territory with the celebration of various art forms, plenty of space for local associations, over 100 events. Highly prestigious guests in the various areas including Cristina D’Avena, Simone Bianchi, Ubaldo Pantani, Paolo Camilli and Professor Giovanni Covone. The theme of the festival is “Kindness”. There will be plenty of color, especially from cosplay. Nicola D’Olivo is responsible for cosplay activities at the festival for CFC and STEP. Passionate about comics, manga and Japanese anime since the 90s, in 2003 he started working for Lucca Comics & Games. In 2011, again for Lucca Comics & Games, he took on the role of Cosplay Manager, that is, responsible for cosplay activities and also Community Manager. He has collaborated for cosplay activities with various trade fairs including San Marino Comics, Pescara Comics, FalComics, Chiavarincosplay. With Nicola D’Olivo we talked about the news that we will see for the world of cosplay at MolFest and how it has changed over the years.
The cosplay phenomenon… how was it born and how has it evolved over time?
“Cosplay is a basic manifestation that was born anciently. It is thought to be a phenomenon of recent years, in reality the first cosplay formulas were already recorded in the Japanese Kabuki theater, the first embryonic formulas of what would have been the theater with masks were already identified. In the 70s and 80s there were the big American conventions linked to Star Trek and science fiction. When Star Wars also arrived, precisely in the American conventions you could see the first people “dressed as”, a first sort of Cosplay. The real boom was however in the mid 90s when between 1995 and 1996, thanks to an anime called “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, a very particular mechanism was triggered, it became fashionable: cosplay was spoken of for the first time as a phenomenon of social trend. In Japan you could see boys and girls who dressed up as the characters of this anime. From there there was the explosion. It also arrived in Italy: at Lucca Comics & Games people went on stage dressed as characters in 1998 and then it went downhill. It has thus become a cultural phenomenon, but also a social one: the particular spirit of dressing up as a character has transformed into a process of socialization, a phenomenon that brings sociability into groups and companies. We have seen a power that gives passion, unites people. Cosplay is also within social contexts: there are Italian artists who go to hospitals, for example. Cosplay has become more than a cultural phenomenon, something much broader”.
What will we see at MolFest?
“People should expect a lot of color and heart, it’s a party. Molfetta will dress in her most beautiful dress. Cosplay will have an important task: to make the streets, squares and iconic places of the city real sets. The intent is to get people out of the house and have them clash with their favorites or superheroes. The cosplay will liven up the city: it is an aspect that will be given great attention. There will be gatherings, that is, people who will find themselves representing an entire work, an entire television series, a TV series or a film. From the San Domenico dock, after the gathering, we will have parades, simple but very impactful activities: you will therefore see cosplay parades for both days of the festival. We invite everyone to attend the first MolFest Cosplay Contest on Sunday 30 June at 6.00 pm at the Banchina San Domenico, the first competitive competition with prizes. Everyone will be able to participate, even children, as there is a kids section for them. I recommend coming at 5.00 pm because we will interview cosplay guests that I have personally chosen as they are from Puglia: the idea of our activities is in fact to enhance the professionalism and symbols of the place. We contacted the cosplayers from Puglia to present themselves to the general public. It will be a real talk show where we will talk about the cosplay phenomenon. The Cosplay will be at Villa Comunale, a beautiful park where all the cosplay associations will meet. Torrione dei Passari, a very suggestive symbol of Molfetta, will be used by a local association as a backstage to show behind the scenes of the book and the famous television series “Game of Thrones”: we will display the stage costumes, swords, objects and more. We invite everyone to participate: everyone will eventually be able to be immortalized on the throne with props.”
Any other tidbits?
“We are interested in developing the area of photography combined with cosplay: in Molfetta there will be national photographers who will participate to immortalize the professional cosplayers that will be hosted in ten suggestive and particular, very iconic places of the city: participation is free, cosplayers can access the registration form on the website www.molfest.it and then make arrangements to take photos in these magical places of Molfetta, here too to demonstrate another facet of cosplay that mixes with photography to enhance the architectural beauty of a place, cosplay as a virtual postcard of a place and a territory”.
How do you see the world of cosplay today?
“It’s not a simple world. Like all universes, it is made up of personalities and individualisms, of people who sometimes try to exploit what is fundamentally fun. It also needs to be relocated to the right size. We are in an era where everything is the opposite of everything, but let’s remember that cosplay was born as fun. It’s important for us to see people playing characters while having fun. The spirit of cosplay to be exalted is inclusiveness: cosplay is for everyone, even for people who apparently cannot perform due to physical limitations. In Molfetta everyone will be able to do it! In fact, within the competition there will be a small break: a local association in the Molfetta area of parents of disabled children, called “Apertamente”, will bring their children who will go up on the main stage and will be dressed in cosplay to make the public understand that cosplay is an art but it is inclusiveness. Cosplay breaks down barriers: it’s a moment of socialization.”
