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Pentaclub is a short film of 2023 directed and produced by Roberto Strazzarino.

Set in 1968, the film tells a coming-of-age, adventure story about friendship, one with small but large rebellious acts that signal the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood.

The film has received numerous accolades, including Best Short Film at the Montecatini International Short Film Festival in 2023 [1][2][3][4], as well as the Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Award) and other awards at the Independent Shorts Awards 2023 in Los Angeles, USA [5].

Plot
It's 1968. Five teenage boys are used to watching films about World War II that celebrate the heroic deeds of the Allies against the Nazis. One day, as they are about to enter a cinema showing the film 'Green Berets', set during the Vietnam War, they are rejected by some protesters who boycott the film, considering it propagandistic and intentionally misleading. From that moment on, Giò, Delfo, Max, Ricky, and Paolo will begin to dream of running a movie theater in which they will not screen pro-war films.

Production
The actors were selected among young non-professionals in the province of Savona (Italy), mainly in Cairo Montenotte, Carcare, and Altare. Also included in the cast is Giorgia Ferrero[6], a professional actress, in the role of a guest star.

The production design and costume departments were entrusted by the director to lifelong friends with whom he shared his early experiments with 8mm film: Pentaclub is therefore a film about friendship, both on the screen and behind the scenes. Other departments were handled by professionals from Turin. The executive production was overseen by Epica Film[7].

A short documentary titled "Making of Pentaclub" tells the story of how a group of friends and a team of professionals together brought the film to life.

The film was shot in Liguria (Italy), mainly in the province of Savona, in Cairo Montenotte, Ferrania, and Millesimo, and partially in Camerana.

Reception
Pentaclub has been positively received on the international stage. The review of the Berlin Indie Film Festival[8] praises the cinematography by Alessandro Mattiolo, the costumes by Marisa Garbero, and the music by AIRAM (Maria Tomaselli). The performance of the young actors chosen by the director is appreciated for portraying believable portraits of adolescents of the 1960s.

The iFESTIVAL magazine credited Roberto Strazzarino for capturing the profound meaning of friendship with his short film.[9]

In Italy, BI News commends the protagonists' dream of running a movie theater where pro-war films are never screened.[10]