We are thrilled to announce that Syracuse and the island of Ortygia will be the new locations of Terre di Cinema starting from the 2024 Edition.

It is not uncommon to hear ‘Ortygia’ and ‘Syracuse’ referred to as two different entities, in fact Ancient Greek city of Syracuse had its founding nucleus in Ortigia – also spelled Ortygia – so the two have always been intertwined. Today, the island is essentially the ‘old town’ or ‘historical centre’ of the city of Syracuse, as well as its most popular area for visitors.

Syracuse indeed was the chief Greek city of ancient Sicily, main rival of Athens, and birthplace of Archimedes, the mathematician-physicist-astronomer-engineer-inventor whose legacy echoes in every math classes around the globe!

When Cicero famously called Syracuse “the greatest and most beautiful of the Greek cities,” he must have been thinking of Ortigia. It’s pretty hard not to be taken in by the place, from the promenades along the sea to the winding narrow streets of the interior. The Mediterranean beckons, and little swimming spots pop up around the perimeter of the island. The unmatched artistic and historical heritage of Ortygia and its smalls dimension (around 1 square kilometer, mostly pedestrian only) make it a perfect scenario for Terre di Cinema and its CineCampus.

Especially considering that nowadays Syracuse and Ortygia are among the most wanted location of Italian cinema and TV productions, thanks to a very active and efficient local Film Commission, this new location will allow us to develop new territorial synergies able to greatly enrich the overall experience of our CineCampus students and participants to the activities of the 2024 Edition of Terre di Cinema.

We are very much looking forward to have you with us at TDC24 in Syracuse and Ortygia then from 1 to 15 September 2024!