"A second edition under the sign of doubling and sustainability," declared festival director Tiziana Rocca (in pictures here, to the right of Longoria). "Double the theaters, with the Cristallo Cinema and the large Arena of Forte Village open to all for free. The films in the program are multiplied with a schedule of about 30 titles in a selection that also includes 5 works chosen by ‘Variety’, in the artistic committee of the Festival. Because we want to provide the Festival to the public-- especially to the young people-- premiere films, but also documentaries, short films and TV series, with the aim of bringing the new generations ever closer to the big screen. We will open with a grand auteur like Brian De Palma and his Domino, shot in part in Sardinia, with actors of the caliber of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Carice van Houten. And for the previews dedicated to the TV series we will also have an episode of the upcoming TV series Caccia al ladro (To Catch A Thief). In this edition we also wanted sustainable development as a common thread to counter the unconditional exploitation of environmental resources. Also the awards realized by Maestro Gerardo Sacco will be in a special edition made with eco-sustainable materials."

At today's event, Longoria also presented the Filming Italy Cannes Award to Werner Herzog, who is at Cannes with his new film, Family Romance, LLC.

HERZOG SAYS MAKING FILM IN JAPAN, IN JAPANESE WITH NON-PROFESSIONAL ACTORS, "WAS DONE WITH A COMPLETE SENSE OF FREEDOM" 

Speaking of Herzog, he is at Cannes for the first time in 25 years, with a film he funded himself called Family Romance, LLC, which was shot in Japan, in Japanese, with non-professional actors, using translators as go-betweens. Herzog does not speak Japanese, and tells Variety's Stewart Clarke that the experience was freeing and joyful:

Did “Family Romance” come together quickly?

It came very quickly; it was instantly there. I knew it was so big I had to immediately tackle it. And there was competition, I believe, from Amblin that wanted to something like that. I do believe one of the great actors of Hollywood wanted to do something about it. But before they even sent the deal memo to an attorney, I was already filming.

It’s Japanese-language. How challenging was that?

It was done with a complete sense of freedom. I didn’t have the demands of having one or two world stars in it. I started filming with this great sense of freedom – essentially I’m stepping back into filmmaking like [1972’s] “Aguirre, the Wrath of God,” or even [1970’s] “Even Dwarfs Started Small,” this complete sense of freedom and joy of filmmaking.

Do you speak any Japanese?

I do not speak Japanese. The go-betweens while shooting were intelligent translators. It made me even faster because I did not have to have the spoken dialogue verbatim. It was clear the actors would have a situation that they had to act in and very clear demands: ‘This part of the dialogue has to be hit at this mark, but how you are getting to that point you can articulate in Japanese. You don’t have to learn a text; you have to learn a situation.’

Listening to the dialogue I could sense if the mood was right or off target. It came with ease.

Was funding the picture a challenge?

I funded it myself completely, and my company Skellig Rock is the production company. I have done two more films in the last 12 months, and I earned some of the money through that. I’m still earning through other things I am doing – for example, through “The Mandalorian” part. Through the “The Mandalorian” earnings I partially finance “Family Romance.” It’s my own money, and I earn it in all sorts of ways. The only thing I haven’t done is bank robbery.

Is the resulting picture going to surprise people?

In my film there is not a single moment that you have ever seen in a movie, although it looks completely normal and regular. When you take a good look, there is not a single thing you have ever seen in any movie. That was completely organic. The awe comes because you have not seen what you are seeing there.

You shoot what you really want to see on the screen. It’s only the essence. That’s the only thing I would film. Because of that, I have barely 300 to 350 minutes of footage in total. It’s very natural for me, and nothing is missing.

Does that rogue filmmaking style mean that a wider selection of people can make movies?

Of course – just look at “Family Romance.” If you are barefoot native from the Andes in Peru, you can make a feature film.