MELBOURNE - The first edition of Premio In Classe, the national short film competition for high school Italian students, had plenty of surprises in store for members of the jury.

The initiative - organised by the Co.As.It. of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, with IAWCC (Italian-Australian Welfare & Cultural Centre Inc) together with Il Globo TV - saw many young people participate.

Students made their films based on the theme of the Week of the Italian Language in the World: Italian and sustainability.

Alessia Di Felice won first prize for both for the state of Victoria and Australia in the Years 10 to 12 category.

Di Felice made a film with a duration of just under two minutes about the ‘slow food’ movement.

Her film impressed the jurors due its clear and correct use of the Italian language, as well as the creativity with which it was edited.

Alessia is a Year 11 student at Kilvington Grammar school, a school that does not teach Italian. “That’s why I take classes at Co.As.It. in Melbourne and with the Victorian School of Languages,” Alessia explained.

“I started studying Italian in Year 8 after several trips to Italy,” she continued.

“I became passionate about the language and Italian culture.

“I love the food, the hospitality of the people, the lifestyle and the energy you feel being there.”

Alessia’s paternal nonni emigrated to Australia from Abruzzo, and although they only speak dialect, which Alessia does not, her connection to the region is strongly felt.

“Studying the language makes me feel connected to Italy, where I would like to study and live in the future,” said Alessia.

“Spending a period of time there would give me the opportunity to really experience the Italian way of life.”

For the time being, Alessia’s goal is to take a university Italian course in Year 12 as she will complete her VCE Italian exams one year ahead of schedule. After that, the plan is to continue studying and practising Italian “for the rest of my life”.

After high school, Alessia is considering applying for medical school. She’s looking at Monash University for the possibility of studying at their campus in Prato, Tuscany, where she could take more language courses.

When Alessia was handed a flyer with information about the Premio In Classe competition by someone at Co.As.It., the student didn’t think twice.

“I really liked the idea of expressing myself by making a video about sustainability and, since I was interested in the slow food movement, I decided to talk about it.”

An Italian friend of hers had initially introduced her to the topic, as she was particularly passionate about the environment and the importance of zero-emission products. This inspired Alessia to deepen her knowledge on the subject by doing some research.

“I then contacted Alison Peake, president of the Slow food movement in Melbourne, who was very kind and put me in touch with some of the local producers involved,” Alessia recalled.

“I also had the opportunity to interview a couple of farmers who speak Italian and whom I was able to include in the video.”

The result was a quality short film, which you can find along with the other winners on Il Globo TV.