The fourth edition of Bilbolbul (International comic festival) has just ended: from the 4th to the 7th of March in Bologna, exhibitions, panels, screenings, dedicaces, Italian and international guests, have been held together by Hamelin Associazione Culturale.

At the core of the festival the authors and the relation among comics and other arts. A leading role will have the many national and international authors that are going to attend the Festival with their works, many of which unpublished in Italy. The strong point of Bilbolbul is rediscovering and deepen, through a big exhibition and thematic meetings, the work of a contemporary comics master, not yet honoured as he deserves, for his linguistic innovations and expressive force: this year’s anthological exhibition is dedicated to the work of the French author David B., a leading narrator and innovator of French comic As in the the past editions, the Festival will present to visitors a tour of exhibitions in museums, art galleries, cultural circles and libraries that count on the support and collaboration of local and international realities in a synergy of many quality proposals.

Still at the Museo Civico Archeologico took place an exhibition dedicated to Paolo Bacilieri and his imaginative world, telling Italy through comics, looking into the style and themes of one of the Italian greatest authors. From France, Emmanuel Guibert (at Cineteca di Bologna) and Marc Boutavant (Sala d'Ercole in Palazzo d'Accursio), the one being the author of Il fotografo and La guerra di Alan, the other of Mouk, and both co-authors of the adventures of the little donkey Ariol, which also became a cartoon broadcasted on French television. Still from France, Pierre La Police, illustrator and designer whose identity is shrouded in mystery, at the Galleria Stamperia d'Arte Squadro.

From Argentina, young author Liniers, a new strips star, who is published weekly in Italy on the pages of Internazionale, is realizing some new drawings for the exhibition at the Aemilia Hotel. On the other hand, Israeli- American Koren Shadmi, comics author and illustrator for leading American newspapers and magazines, is going to exhibit his own work at Galleria PivArte. Lastly, at Galleria RAM Hotel, Swedish author Joanna Hellgren is going to exhibit drawings and panels from her graphic novels, unpublished in Italy.

Besides the above mentioned Bacilieri, amongst the Italians whom Bilbolbul dedicates an exhibition are Lorenzo Mattotti, one of the most famous Italian comic artists, with an exhibition about his landscapes drawings, Giacomo Monti, author of short stories, sharp in narration and contents, at Galleria Nosadella Due, Marina Girardi, who is going to exhibit the panels of Kurden People, her opera prima, at the Feltrinelli Ravegnana library, Marco Ficarra, with an exhibition dedicated to his first graphic novel Stalag XB, and Hannes Pasqualini, who is goign to show, at Camera a Sud, sketches and drawings from Gietz, graphic novel about jazz in Italy post-World War Second.

This year the section “Attorno al Festival” (Around the Festival) has been very rich, helding, amongst others, exhibitions of Andrea Bruno, Laura Camelli, Davide Zucco, Squaz, Arianna Vairo, Violetta Testacalda, the magazines Two Fast Colour and GIUDA, the collective Art & Comics and Strane Dizioni.

Spaces for the promotion of young artists are confirmed, in line with the previous editions: the exhibition dedicated to the winners of the contest “The sound of Pixel”, promoted by the Flashfumetto.it website, is going to be held at the Auditorium of SalaBorsa, while at librerie.Coop Ambasciatori are going to be exhibited the panels of Nancy Poltronieri e Cristina Portolano, first and second place at the contest “Coop for Words”.

Finally, at Sala d’Ercole in Palazzo d’Accursio, side by side with the panels of Ariol, done by Marc Boutavant, it's going to be held the exhibition dedicated to the contest “Pronti, via! Viaggio al centro della terra” promoted by Provincia di Bologna Assessorato Cultura e Pari Opportunità e Emilbanca Credito Cooperativo. The contest has involved more than a thousand children of the primary and secondary schools of Bologna and province: children have been asked to invent and elaborate in comics a story with them as protagonists, imagining a journey in a fantastic world with a mean of transport invented by themselves.

The collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna is confirmed, through a special schedule dedicated to the relation between comics and cinema. To be shortly announced even the meetings which are going to confront comics authors with journalists, writers, critics, and which are going to focus on the subjects of telling Italy through comics and reportage, as family chronicle, travel diary or metaphor.

Pictures from above: Alessandro Baronciani; Alessandro BAronciani; Alessio Spataro; Vanna Vinci; Yoshiko Watanabe; Christina Gransow; Marc Boutavant; David B.; Paolo Bacilieri; Lorenzo Mattotti