The audience knows him mostly as an actor in films like the mystery drama Quo Vadis, Baby? and popular Italian TV series like Don Matteo and Inspector Ricciardi. But for the International Gastronomy Film Festival, born in 2025 from festival founder Gülper Ergün’s wish to bridge different cultures, cities, and countries via food and stories, Ferdinando Maddaloni stepped up as Artistic Director. Informed by his own multidisciplinary experience in film, he curates the short films competing for the main awards. On site in Çeşme, where the festival moved after its premiere edition in Urla, Maddaloni spoke with Lidanoir about his hope for movie theaters dedicated solely to short films, bringing film and food together, and the political side of both.