Gianni Garko, the mythical Sartana, will collect the AWFF 2022 Tabernas de Cine award

 Almeria Western Film Festival

June 29, 2022

The actor who became a star in Europe with the 'spaghetti western', has been enthusiastic about the award and says "He is delighted to return to this land" Almeria, June 29, 2022 -. Almería Western Film Festival (AWFF) will award its main award, the Tabernas de Cine award, to actor Gianni Garko in its 12th edition. Like many other figures of the 'spaghetti western', Gianni Garcovich was looking for an Anglo-Saxon name with pull.

Often credited as Gary Hudson or John Garko, Gianni Garko was finally the pseudonym with which he carved out a niche for himself in the collective imagination and in the pantheon of Euro-western legends. He came to success with a legendary role, if Franco Nero and Giulianno Gemma are remembered for playing 'Django' and 'Ringo', respectively, we will always perpetuate Garko as the gunslinger 'Sartana', a character he brought to life in four movies. Gianni

Garko was born in 1935 in the city of Zadar (now Croatia, then Italy), he soon moved to Trieste and Rome to study acting. His role as a Nazi soldier in Kapò (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1960) was the starting signal for a successful career and thus he chained several roles in peplum films. Precisely one of them, 'David and Saúl' (1964) was the one that brought him to Almería for the first time.

Just two years later, in 1966, he would return to the Tabernas Desert to shoot his first Western, 'Baño de sangre al sunrise'. It would not be the last here, since he would also shoot in the province on four other occasions with 'Like Thirsty Wolves' (1967), '$10,000 for a Massacre' (1968), 'A Pair of Assassins' (1970) and 'Those Dirty Dogs' (1973). In addition to the celebrated 'Sartana' films, Gianni Garko also starred in cult titles such as 'Bullet for a Stranger' and 'Bad Man’s River' alongside Lee Van Cleef.

Garko, who was part of the AWFF jury in 2012, after receiving the notification of this recognition, has been enthusiastic and declares that he is "looking forward to returning to this land, to Tabernas, Almería and its unforgettable Andalusia. It is the most beautiful recognition in my more than 60 years as an actor. Returning to Tabernas is like entering the paradise of my most beautiful dreams, dreams that the public of that time and my many fans of today gave me. With joy I tell you: “see you soon”, he said.

The Tabernas Film Festival adds its name to that of other directors and actors such as Sara Montiel, Mónica Randall, Enzo G. Castellari, Sancho Gracia, Terence Hill, Alberto Dell'Acqua, George Martin, Sal Borgese, Claudia Cardinale, Alex Cox, Ángel del Pozo and Franco Nero. All the award-winners have a seat in the Paseo de Cine de Tabernas to keep these figures of western cinema alive in the memory.