Movement Torino Returns For Three Nights Of Techno In Italy

The 14th edition of Movement Torino will return to Italy October 31 through November 2 for three nights of performances by some of the top names in techno. This year’s lineup boasts acts such as Amelie Lens, Anastasia Kristensen, ANOTR and Dennis Cruz. Movement Torino is the sister festival to world-renowned techno festival Movement Detroit, which took place earlier this year. The Italian rendition will feature a space theme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and the festival will once again take place at venue Lingotto for the main event on October 31. The club shows on November 1 and 2 will be held at Milk Club and Audiodrome Live Club, respectively. Founder and festival director Maurizio “Juni” Vitale took the time to share with Forbes how the festival lineup is curated, the Movement Culture Program, why the event was created and more.

Lisa Kocay: Movement Torino is the sister festival of Detroit’s Movement. How are the two similar and how are they different?

Maurizio “Juni” Vitale: They are held in different continents and periods. The fact the first one is in October makes it an indoor festival while the second, in May, is outdoor. The similarities lie in the brand and its values, as well as the artistic line and a gradual integration with sponsors. In addition, we are both motor cities (i.e motowns) with strong industrial roots and a creative push that originates from there.

What was the motivation behind creating the Torino rendition of the festival?

Torino has always been very responsive to electronic music. My partner and I noticed there was a strong demand and the opportunity came in 2006 when the city was getting ready for the Winter Olympic Games. Then my partner got to know Derrick May, who happily agreed to bring the brand over to Italy, and so the first ever edition was held on December 15, 2006 hosting 2,500 people.

The lineup boasts some of the top names in techno. How is the lineup curated?

Every line up is drafted according to three criteria:

– Personal taste

– Availability of artists

– Attention to people’s demands.

The festival will have a space theme for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. How will this theme be incorporated?

This year’s theme was developed in collaboration with Smiling Sisters, a Milan-London based creative agency, as way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and to highlight the festival’s experience. The theme is explored throughout all visual and printed materials, and it allows for immediate recognizability of Movement’s branding. Our aim is to bring people together and have them share a unique adventure.

Beyond the music, is there anything else for attendees to do, such as activities?

A key activity is the workshop for the students of the BA in Cinema and Media Engineering of the Politecnico di Torino. I receive many emails from young people asking for advice for their projects. I am always happy to share my experience with those who will be the future ruling class that I hope will be more open-minded than their predecessors. In addition, we collaborated with the Saatchi Gallery in London for the closing party of the Sweet Harmony exhibition with a DJ-set and a selection of photographs taken at the festival. For what concerns music, we have a weekly clubbing program called ‘Road to Movement’ that this year was enriched by special DJ performances from Tijana T and Mirko Loko on the top of the Alps in collaboration with Chamonix Unlimited Festival.

Can you talk about the Movement Culture program that focuses on education in the music industry?

Movement Culture is a program born in 2008 to value public spaces through musical happenings financed by private resources. We cooperate with several local entities such as Torino Airport, the Museum of Savings and the University. Movement culture is a way to spread electronic music in cultural spaces.

What will make this year different from previous years?

This year we have three dates: A Main Show on October 31, followed by club nights on November 1 and 2. Every year we try to improve starting from the previous experience.

What makes Movement Torino unique from other festivals?

We like to consider ourselves a clever entertainment producer, which means paying great attention to the full customer experience, state-of-the-art sound and lighting infrastructure, underground music selection and transparent business management.

By Lisa Kocay.

Original article here.