VENICE/3

The story behind the Festival

 The Thirties

 The first international film festival held in Venice (known as the First International Film Expo) took place from the 6^th to the 21^st of August, 1932. The festival came about thanks to the president of the Venice Biennial, Count Giuseppe Volpi of Misurata, sculptor Antonio Mariani, secretary general, and Luciano De Feo, secretary general of the International Institute for educational cinema, issuing from the National Society with headquarters in Rome. Being all of one accord regarding the plan to host the first festival in the lagoon city, count Giuseppe Volpi was also the festival’s first director and selector. Public attending one of the first festivals on the terrace of the Excelsior Hotel