SESTRI LEVANTE (GE) – World-class masterclasses, films and documentaries competing from around the world, a jury of absolute excellence for a young festival, organized by young people and aimed at young people. From May, 5th to May, 10th 2020 the Riviera International Film Festival, dedicated to under 35 directors, will be back to Sestri Levante for the fourth consecutive year. Confirmed for this year: masterclasses of international caliber, a documentaries section and a new poster signed by the Dutch photographer Rohn Meijer. The Riviera International Film Festival is organized with the support of the City of Sestri Levante, with Mediaterraneo Services and sponsored by the Liguria Region.
“We are very enthusiastic about the fourth edition of the Riviera International Film Festival – says from Los Angeles Stefano Gallini Durante, RIFF president and founder – Also in 2020 we will have international guests, top-level films and new documentaries about the environment that will make us reflect very intensely on our future and on our collective responsibilities. In recent years, the event has been a great national and international success thanks to the work of a formidable team. The goal for next year is to have even more extensive press and TV coverage of the festival.”
“Never before has society needed to find new sources of inspiration and embark on a new path of social and environmental improvement – explains Vito D’Onghia, executive director of the Riviera International Film Festival – The goal of the RIFF is to focus a new look towards the future through under 35 directors and their works, and to open a comparison between past and present through a selection of documentaries on the environment. From this year RIFF will focus on two concepts that have always been dear to us: renewal and independence as a means of cultural development.”
One of the novelties of the fourth edition is the renewed RIFF 2020 poster, signed by the distinguished Dutch photographer Rohn Meijer. Another international guest of RIFF 2020 edition, ceramist, sculptor and all-round artist, Mejier chose Sestri Levante and RIFF as his next professional step, creating an original image with a light and dark blue background that recalls the colors of the sea and sky of Liguria and of the Riviera di Levante. “Having participated in the RIFF 2018 edition, I was pleasantly impressed by the organization and the selected films – says Ron Meijer – I lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years, I had to deal with Hollywood. For me, it was almost like revisiting a piece of my past.”
Meijer explains the reasons that inspired his poster. “Being a visual person, in my case a photographer, I liked the idea of creating a poster – says the photographer – I was asked to do something glamorous for the RIFF and I was immediately thrilled with the idea. I searched my archive and I pulled out this picture, taken in Paris during a fashion show. I chose this photo, which was a bit shaky, because it gives a feeling of movement. The same movement that can be found in “Rebel Independent Cinema” and especially in the movement on the red carpet.”
Rohn Meijer Biography
Rohn Meijer was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Before his seventh birthday, his family emigrated to Los Angeles, a city that offered Rohn years of solar growth that had been assimilated in his body and spirit over time. At the age of 22 he decided to return to Amsterdam, where he studied ceramics at the Rietveld Academy. After graduating, he went to Italy for the first time and worked there as a designer of industrial ceramics, collaborating, among others, with Mario Bellini. Together with Ambrogio Pozzi and Joe Colombo, he designed an onboard dinner service for Alitalia.
Rohn returned to Amsterdam after three years to work as a sculptor and teacher of industrial ceramics at the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven. Then, he was introduced into the creative world of fashion photography by photographer Jan Francis: this experience, combined with his curiosity to deepen his knowledge of the profession, opened up many possibilities for this new career. After coming back to Milan, Franco Moschino gave him his first job. Over time he followed many clients, including Neil Barrett, Phillip Plein, Diesel Black Gold and Les Hommes.
For many years he worked as in-house photographer for DSquared.
In addition, while travelling intensively for “personal research”, he developed another passion: photographing people from other places and cultures. This took him all over the world, to countries like India, where his travels led to a project for a book: “The Colours of India in Black and White”. This is a passion that continues today and will continue for many tomorrows to come.
