Rome Film Festival Jury Compels Every Juror to Sit Through Every Screening Without Leaving Seats, Vows Permanent Residence in Auditorium

The jury of the 21st edition of the Festa del Cinema di Roma has moved into the Auditorium Parco della Musica, where it will remain until every prize has been deliberated, announced and engraved, the festival said on Tuesday. Jury president Jan Komasa, flanked by Brazilian actress and producer Bárbara Paz, has ordered that the panel's chairs be bolted to the floor of the main hall to prevent any member from leaving before the final vote.

Festival staff have been obliged to build a small dormitory behind the stage, equipped with cots, a kitchen and a dedicated shuttle line to the Flaminio metro station, which now runs every four minutes. Catering has been instructed to serve only the dishes that appeared in the nominated films, a decision the festival described as a matter of artistic integrity. Ushers now wear the festival's uniform in the jury's colour, and the cinema's ticket office has been converted into a bakery.

Komasa told reporters that the jury had watched the entire programme twice and was now watching it a third time, with the lights dimmed to a level no projectionist had previously agreed to. Asked how long the deliberation would last, he replied that the award for best film had been decided in principle, and that the remaining prizes would be settled once the jury had reviewed the best actress category in full, from the first frame to the credits.

The best film award went to Clio Barnard, and Golshifteh Farahani's contemporaries on the jury have since begun arriving at the auditorium with suitcases. Festival organisers have already announced next year's edition, which will be held entirely inside the jury room.

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