Dito Montiel’s “Boulevard” – the last film starring Robin Williams – will enjoy its European premiere on July 12, opening the 13th Annual Ischia Global Film & Music Fest.
“We are proud to inaugurate the festival with a long awaited work where, according to Us critics, the actors delivers one of his best performances,” announced Pascal Vicedomini, fouder and producer of the Summer’s hottest International Film Fest, “and to be able to do it almost simultaneously with the movie’s Us release (July 10, 2015). The first trailer of this movie – recently launched on the web – has touched the hearts of millions of fans who will soon commemorate the first anniversary of Williams’ passing, occurred on August 11, 2014.
“Boulevard,” acclaimed at Tribeca Festival, is the fourth and last of Robin Williams’ films which were released after his death. “However,” observes festival’s producer Pascal Vicedomini, “‘Boulevard’ is certainly the most touching of them all, a true testament to the actor’s talent, and we’ll have the pleasure of sharing this heart-felt moment together with such celebrities as Antonio Banderas, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Matteo Garrone, Jimmy Kimmel, Bille August, Sandy Powell, Paul Haggis, Eli Roth, as well as with the Academy’s President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.”
The drama, directed by brilliant New York director, writer and musician Dito Montiel (“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”), features Robin Williams as a bank employee who seems quite contented with his life next to his endearing wife (Kathy Baker), until a fatal encounter with a young prostitute who will force him to come to terms with his repressed homosexuality.
Ischia Global Fest 2015 will honor “Leoardi”, Italian Movie of the Year, with a special screening on July 17. Mario Martone’s movie revolving around the life of Italian 19th century poet Giacomo Leopardi, is regarded as a true Italian phenomenon, able to give new impulse to the Italian cinema and culture, often screened for students and scholars.
The festival, which will unfold until July 19, will also present the European premieres of “Ten Thousand Saints”, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini; the movie, which was already awarded at the Sundance Film Festival, is based on a novel by Eleanor Henderson and is interpreted by Asa Butterfield and Jude Keffy.
Italian premieres include: Doug Ellin’s “Entourage” with Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon (Warner Bros), based on the well-known HBO series; Paul Feig’s comedy “SPY”, with Jason Statham, Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne (FOX), which marks the third collaboration between Feig and McCarthy after “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat”; James Kent’s First World War drama “Testament of Youth”, with Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Kit Harington; Rob Cohen’s thriller “The Boy next door”, with Jennifer Lopez (Universal).
Other special screenings will include: Sundance-acclaimed “The Truth About Emanuel,” (pictured above) by Francesca Gregorini, with Jessica Biel; Alessandro Capone’s “Maid for you,” with Giulio Berruti, Antonio Cupo, and science fiction “Ex Machina” by Alex Garland with Alicia Vikander Oscar Isaacs (Universal).
Denmark will be the celebrated country at the Festival which will host the screening of “My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn”, directed by Liv Corfixen, wife to Winding Refn.