GLORIA ALLEGRUCCI

Title: Le egoiste
Genre: Drama
Assigned Editor: Ivano Fachin

Statement. The quality of the writing traps the reader in the existential dimension of the three female characters. A “reflective” narrative we’d like to shatter by replying: “no,” “not me,” “no, it’s no longer like that,” but the shards of this mirror wound our conscience — the fragments reflect the missed actions in every life, in every woman’s life.
The author does not have a Manichean view of reality; rather, through the absence of emphatic expressions, she provokes in the reader a reaction opposite to the resignation of her characters. The story plays with time and altered perception. The weaving of different time planes is effective, as is the symbolic — at times hallucinated — nature of the setting. The “handle” narrative device is a brilliant solution.

CHIARA CENTIONI

Title: Adesso è nell’ora
Genre: Drama
Assigned Editor: Irene Magrelli

Statement. The subject reads with interest thanks to the fluidity of the writing, the depiction of situations, and the credibility of the characters — to the point that one can already imagine the complete screenplay.
The candidate has skillfully balanced foreshadowing and small plot twists, revealing maturity and confidence in her abilities. Her neutral gaze toward all her characters was especially appreciated.
Although the interweaving of stories is not particularly original, it is invigorated by excellent pacing and the circular structure (note the various flashes of characters who appear briefly, disappear, and re-emerge alongside others in new situations; also noteworthy is the editing, with a final scene that ties back to the first, thus closing the narrative loop).
A choral drama, tinged with bleak pessimism, but justified and deeply rooted in reality.

MADDALENA LICCIARDI

Title: Mariù e Anna
Genre: Comedy, Humorous
Assigned Editor: Carolina Grassi

Statement. The vitality of two elderly unmarried God-fearing sisters won us over with its at times grotesque, sometimes hilarious, surreal, yet always engaging humor.
The candidate’s writing bursts with irresistible verve, rich in tone and color, with non-trivial dialectal expressions and a wealth of unexpected details — all of which suggest that the story has everything it needs to become an original comedy on screen.
Everything — including the exuberant final/dionysian/geriatric hymn to female freedom — is seen through the distorting lens of a humor reminiscent of the dreamlike surrealism of Luis Buñuel and the irreverent social comedy of Mario Monicelli.

ALICE MANZATI

Title: Marea
Genre: Drama
Assigned Editor: Tommaso Matano

Statement. Selected for its ability to offer, through simple and unembellished language, a realistic depiction of the lives of second-generation Latin American immigrants on the outskirts of a major city — Milan, though it could be set in any metropolis.
Gabriel’s redemption arc proved convincing; had his name been Gabriele, would his fate have been different? With a touch of the luck that always favors the bold, will the protagonist succeed in fulfilling his dream of becoming a director?
The story is moving, convincing — one feels the urge to take part, to help and support this young man. Many others still await our gaze.
A small but powerful story about the many “invisible” people washed ashore by the undertow of history onto the edge of our lives, who fight with each new moon not to be swept away again by the tide.

GIOVANNA VOLPI

Title: Surreal killer
Genre: Noir, Gangster, Comedy
Assigned Editor: Giovanni Galassi

Statement. A title that says it all: the author throws us into an explosive and colorful whirlwind of trigger-happy characters, where shots are fired without a second thought — especially at one’s own relatives.
It’s a boldly toned crime story that evokes the world of comics — highly visual, yet filled with sound effects the reader can almost see bursting out of the characters’ mouths in oversized word bubbles (BANG, BUM, CRACK, WOW).
An irritable killer with poor aim, an obnoxious brother obsessed with discovering which of the two was adopted, incompetent cops, a foul-mouthed hacker daughter investigating her mother’s murder… all collide until the final twist before the end credits.
And you die laughing — because the characters deliver killer lines. A simple concept, but one that stands out thanks to a sharp, edgy writing style and the author’s skill in dipping her pen in the noir holster, keeping the tone constantly suspended between reality and offbeat surrealism.

Special Mention

LAVINIA TOMMASOLI

Title: C.L.O.D.E.T.T.E.
Genre: Comedy, Science Fiction