We are living in fictitious and strange times. Not even in our wildest dreams could we have expected to find ourselves in such a peculiar historical moment, where the world is turned inside out, heading toward an inconclusive and possibly darker future. The challenges are immense, overpowering, and overwhelming. War is spreading; the planet’s climate is in a state of re-equilibrium and promises catastrophic consequences; the far-right has the upper hand just about everywhere; Artificial Intelligence presents us with as many alternatives as irreversible threats; our individual and collective social media bubbles imprison us in an endless cycle of mindless emptiness; and now, even market forces have entered a regressive path toward total commercial warfare. 

Few dare to imagine an optimistic vision of the present—let alone the future. It’s no wonder that nihilism has become a war cry and the all-powerful, all-encompassing general feeling of our age. This is not the first time humanity has faced such trials. We tend to believe our time is always the worst, but dystopia has always been just around the corner—and mankind hasn’t always responded like this. After all, in all of human history, the future has always been unwritten. 

In 2025, FEST has decided to swim against the current, starting by internalizing and reminding everyone of Joe Strummer’s (The Clash) formidable and iconic quote: “The Future Is Unwritten.”  Film has always played a pivotal role in inspiring us and decoding reality. It has been a continuous lesson about the past, the present, and the future. It has taught us how to act, how to love, and how to hate. It has always been a remarkable tool for helping us understand what it means to be human. 

Now is the time to retell this tale—where the big screen becomes the ultimate window into better and more hopeful perspectives. This year, FEST is developing a film and training program where the future is not just a frightening possibility but, in fact, a blank canvas. It’s up to us to ensure it becomes brighter and more colorful than today. 

From the hopeful energy in the streets of Tbilisi (Georgia), to rebirth rising from the ruins of Gaza, to the global resistance against negativism, FEST 2025 sets out to remind us that cinema and the moving image are central to the solution. This reimagining of our collective narrative begins with the release of the official image for the XXI edition of FEST—an image that reflects an aspiring gaze into the future and opens up a universe of possibilities. Not even in our wildest dreams could we have expected to find ourselves in such a peculiar historical moment, where the world is turned inside out. Few dare to imagine an optimistic vision of the present, as challenges and uncertainties seem to dominate every aspect of life. 

In 2025, FEST has decided to swim against the current, starting by internalizing and reminding everyone of Joe Strummer’s (The Clash) formidable and iconic quote: “The Future Is Unwritten.” Film has always played a pivotal role in inspiring us and decoding reality. It has been a continuous lesson about the past, the present, and the future. It has taught us how to act, how to love, and how to hate. It has always been a remarkable tool for helping us understand what it means to be human. 

From the hopeful energy in the streets of Tbilisi (Georgia), to the rebirth rising from the ruins of Gaza, to the global resistance against negativism, FEST 2025 sets out to remind us that cinema and the moving image are central to the solution. The official image of FEST reflects this vision—an aspiring gaze into the future, opening up a universe of possibilities.