Rome (Vatican Radio): The third edition of the International Catholic Film Festival, gets underway in Monday in Rome. Over the next three days films will compete in six categories, Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Actress and Actor and Best Director.

During the inauguration of the Festival, the program of the International Congress on "Cinema and the new evangelization", will also be presented The Congress, which is under the patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, will be the first in a series of events take place in 10 cities around the world (including Vienna, Los Angeles, Toronto and Rio de Janeiro) between 2012 and 2013.

Laura Marabini is the founder and President of Milabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival, she spoke to Lydia O’Kane about the role film can play in promoting Evangelization.

“Today films have the role that painting had during the Renaissance… a film is a very accessible tool, everybody understands a film … so I think it’s the simplest and most accessible tool to evangelize.”

The International Catholic Film Festival runs until July 5.