Coccarde in Video

The "Coccarde in Video" festival is an event organised by the L'Aquila Film Institute "La Lanterna Magica" in conjunction with the Gran Sasso National Park and the International Academy of Image Arts and Sciences.

It is an annual event aimed at teaching children (7 - 14) the techniques of film and photography through outdoor excursions, film screenings, discussions and practical exercises. The children are given the opportunity to appreciate the architectural and natural beauty of the area by learning how to observe, photograph and record it.

The festival is usually held during the first half of September. Learning to look at their surrounding area more carefully is indeed important in helping children to the respect the environment.

The festival has been running for many years and took place in numerous picturesque locations such as the mediaeval villages of the Gran Sasso National Park and Monti della Laga.

The places which have been visited most often by this festival are the towns of Capestrano, Tempera and the Vera springs, Barisciano, Petogna, Villa di Mezzo, Fossa and its surrounding burial sites, Filetto and its stony architecture, Santa Maria del Ponte, Beffi, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Poggio Picenze, Castel del Monte, and Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

Coccarde in Video has each year over 200 subscribers who have participated since the festival began and it also has a section dedicated to older children "Coccarde in Video - Senior".

The opening ceremony of the festival, the final screening of a film for children and the exhibition of the photos taken by the participants all take place in the newly restored Cinema Massimo in L'Aquila.

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