As ever our subjects range from the strange and the poetic to the incredible, from both silent and sound eras… but how to find a path through all these films? The fact that screenings will run simultaneously in three separate venues certainly represents a bit of a psychological stumbling block for many of us, myself included, for I remain at heart a typical patron of the festival. Some years back when I was a happy, anonymous member of the Bologna audience I violently resisted any event (even a symposium) that threatened the communal spirit surrounding the use of a single venue – first the old Lumière, later the Fulgor. Now that chance has elevated me to the position of festival director I have become resigned to, and indeed embraced, the need for three separate cinemas. Let’s pause a moment to see what they have to offer.