by MK
Amid the red-carpet premieres and celebrity fanfare of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where the global film industry gathers in all its grandeur, one figure stands slightly apart — not in stature, but in vision. Alan Jones, director of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, has carved out a space for himself at the heart of Cannes, not to bask in the glitz, but to share a deeper story — one that looks to the future, and sometimes to other worlds.
Jones, a lifelong devotee of the genre, is as much a historian of science fiction as he is a cultivator of its future. “Science fiction has always been about possibility,” he said during a brief pause in his whirlwind Cannes schedule. “It holds up a mirror to who we are — our anxieties, our aspirations — and asks: What if?”
That central question has guided Jones’s stewardship of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, now one of Europe’s most dynamic genre showcases. Since taking the helm, he has expanded its scope far beyond cinema. Today, the festival encompasses literature, gaming, immersive virtual reality, and panels that draw in scientists and futurists alongside filmmakers.
“When I started, our goal was to elevate the genre — to treat it with the respect and curiosity it deserves,” Jones explained. “Trieste, with its crossroads of cultures and history of scientific discovery, is the ideal setting for that.”
The 2025 edition, he teased, will be the festival’s boldest yet. “We’re going big this year,” he said with a grin. “Major names, major premieres. But also, we’re doubling down on our commitment to discovery — to giving a platform to emerging voices who are reshaping what science fiction can be.”
Jones’s enthusiasm is infectious, and in a place like Cannes — where the industry often feels focused on the now — his gaze toward the unknown is both refreshing and necessary. As he prepares to return to Trieste, it’s clear he’s carrying more than ideas. He’s gathering fuel for the next leap forward.
“It’s not just about movies,” he said. “It’s about building a community of dreamers — people who aren’t afraid to ask what lies ahead.”
