Rome Film Festival

The Artistic Director Antonio Monda of Rome Film Fest today announced several sneak previews of the upcoming thirteenth edition which will take place from October 18th to 28th 2018. The complete lineup will be announced at a press conference to be held on Friday October 5th.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Like every year, ample space will be dedicated to the Close Encounters with directors, actors and leading figures in the world of art and culture. The first names announced include:

Martin Scorsese | Lifetime Achievement Award

The thirteenth Rome Film Fest will celebrate Martin Scorsese, one of the finest figures in the history of the seventh art, bestowing him with the Lifetime Achievement Award that will be presented by Paolo Taviani. On this occasion, the American filmmaker, author of a remarkable series of masterpieces from Mean Streets and Taxi Driver to Raging Bull, from Goodfellas to Casino, from Gangs of New York to The Departed, from The Wolf of Wall Street to Silence, will take part in a Close Encounter with the public. In conversation with festival director Antonio Monda, Scorsese will review his fifty-year career and discuss a selection of clips from Italian films that have had a long-lasting effect on his life and his work. Scorsese will also present a newly restored version of a classic of Italian cinema, and have a public conversation with students from the Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”.

Sigourney Weaver

From science fiction to thrillers, from comedy to socially-engaged films: throughout a career that stretches across five decades, Sigourney Weaver has played profoundly different roles thanks to the combination of talent and acting skills that have made her one of the most versatile actresses in contemporary cinema. The list of filmmakers who have directed her, from Ridley Scott to Ivan Reitman, from Mike Nichols to Ang Lee, from Roman Polanski to David Fincher and James Cameron, is impressive. She gave memorable performances in the ‘Alien’ and ‘Ghostbusters’ sagas, in Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl (which won her the Golden Globe), in Death and the Maiden and Avatar, the biggest box-office hit in the history of cinema.

Giuseppe Tornatore

The Sicilian director is one of the most beloved and award-winning auteurs in Italian cinema. His stories have reached beyond the borders of Italy: from the Oscar® with Cinema Paradiso to his nominations for The Star Maker, from Malèna to Baarìa, from The Legend of 1900 to The Unknown Woman, from The Best Offer to Correspondence, Tornatore has produced a universal language based on an personal style, suspended between nostalgia and illusion, intimacy and sensation. At the next Rome Film Fest, the filmmaker will take part in an encounter in which he will discuss with the audience his passion for the noir genre, between literature and cinema.

Pierre Bismuth

Pierre Bismuth’s works include exhibitions and video-installations presenting a revolutionary combination of genres and languages, from sculpture to painting, from collage to architecture all the way to music. The French artist won the Oscar®, with Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman, for the screenplay of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, considered one of the best films of the past decade. He later made his directorial debut with the feature-length film Where is Rocky II?, half-way between fiction and reality. The Close Encounter with Bismuth will be held at the MAXXI in collaboration with Videocittà.

Luca Bigazzi and Arnaldo Catinari

The cinematographer is one of the most important figures in the production of a film and over the course of the decades, has produced extraordinary “light wizards”, who have won great international acclaim. Two of them will meet for a conversation at the Rome Film Fest: Luca Bigazzi, who earned his place in the history of Italian cinema by winning seven David di Donatello and seven Nastro d’Argento awards, and Arnaldo Catinari, the cinematographer of films such as Light of My Eyes, La vita che vorrei, The Caiman, Tell Me About Love, The Demons of St. Petersburg, Angel of Evil.

Giogiò Franchini and Esmeralda Calabria

Because of its critical role, the theme of film editing has been one of the most highly debated in the field of film theory. The Rome Film Fest will bring two famous Italian film editors face to face: on one side, Giogiò Franchini, who has worked with directors such as Paolo Sorrentino, Jonathan Demme and Giovanni Veronesi and won the David di Donatello Award for The Girl By The Lake by Andrea Molajoli; on the other, Esmeralda Calabria, film editor for auteurs such as Nanni Moretti, Francesca Archibugi and Giuseppe Piccioni, winner of both the David di Donatello and the Nastro d’Argento awards for Romanzo criminale by Michele Placido.

SPECIAL EVENT

Notti Magiche by Paolo Virzì

The acclaimed Tuscan filmmaker – considered one of the greatest heirs of the commedia all’italiana tradition, who directed a series of box-office hits including Hardboiled Egg, Human Capital, The First Beautiful Thing, Tutta la vita davanti, Like Crazy and The Leisure Seeker – sets his latest film in Rome in 1990 during the summer of the football world cup. The film is produced by Marco Belardi for Lotus Production, a division of the Leone Film Group, with Rai Cinema, and will be distributed in Italy by 01 Distribution.

RETROSPECTIVES

The retrospectives of the thirteenth Rome Film Fest, curated by Mario Sesti, will be dedicated to two sophisticated exponents of great European cinema. On the one side, Peter Sellers, the multifaceted English artist, known for his extraordinary comedic talent and the lucid madness of his characters – first and foremost Inspector Clouseau – yet also a respected performer of dramatic roles; on the other, Maurice Pialat, the French filmmaker, winner of the Golden Palm at Cannes for Under the Sun of Satan, author of cinema that deliberately eschews labels, but always deals with themes and feelings charged with exceptional emotional tension. The retrospective on Peter Sellers will be held in collaboration with the British Embassy and the British Council, the one on Maurice Pialat will be organized with the Cineteca di Bologna and the Embassy of France.

FILM RESTORATIONS

Several important Italian films will screen at the next Rome Film Fest in a newly-restored version: among them, Italiani brava gente by Giuseppe De Santis. The filmmaker, one of the founding masters of Neo-Realism, winner of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 1995, evokes the tragedy of Italian soldiers during the Russia campaign in World War II. The restoration was completed by the Cineteca Nazionale.

A PORTRAIT OF MARCELLO MASTROIANNI

Between October and January, the Museum of the Ara Pacis will host an important exhibition dedicated to one of the symbols of Italian cinema in the world: Marcello Mastroianni. The exhibition, curated by Gian Luca Farinelli, is promoted by Musei di Roma, Cineteca di Bologna, Istituto Luce Cinecittà, Equa di Camilla Morabito.

THE FILMS OF OUR LIVES: NOIRS

Like every year, the Artistic Director and the members of the Selection Committee will present the films that influenced their passion for the cinema: after westerns and musicals, this year’s choice is the film noir. Each film will be accompanied by a conversation with directors, actors and guests. Furthermore, before each screening, spectators will enjoy short clips of the most famous and beloved film noirs.

THE ROME FILM FEST IN THE CITY

The Auditorium Parco della Musica has been the heart of the Rome Film Fest since 2006 with the red carpet and the screening venues. Like every year, the Rome Film Fest will extend to several other locations in the city, including the Auditorium of the Rebibbia Prison (Nuovo Complesso) and the Women’s Ward in Rome. Following the success of the pilot-project that took place last year in Via della Frezza, the Rome Film Fest has decided to continue bringing its initiatives into the heart of the city, extending its iconic Red Carpet to a multiplicity of meeting points in the historic city centre of Rome. The project, organized by the communication group HDRA, will be called IT WILL HAPPEN ON THE RED CARPET and its goal will be to promote quality cinema and the city of Rome, bringing together citizens, tourists and international celebrities. The activities, which will focus on cinema, culture, new trends, fashion, design and fine music, will take place along a fascinating itinerary that will wind through the streets of the Capital, with the assistance and collaboration of institutions, merchants’ associations and private sponsors.

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The timeless grace and elegance of one of the most beloved actresses of all time, Audrey Hepburn, are featured in the official poster of the 12th Rome Film Fest. The picture taken by photographer David Seymour portrays the actress during the shooting of Funny Face (1957). The Rome Film Fest thus pays tribute to the film directed by Academy Honorary Award winner Stanley Donen, which in 2017 will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its release in theaters, and to the musical, a genre that will be a recurring motif throughout the festival. In fact, all the films selected for the program of the “Films of Our Lives” section will be musicals and before every screening of the upcoming Rome Film Fest, viewers will enjoy clips from the most famous and unforgettable musicals. “Few actresses communicate the idea of grace and sophistication like Audrey Hepburn – explained Antonio Monda – I believe she perfectly embodies the identity of the fest we are trying to build, especially in this image filled with joy and elegance”. Credits: Audrey Hepburn TM -Trademark, © 2012 and Likeness – Property of Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti, ALL RIGHT RESERVED” © David Seymour/Magnum/Contrasto

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[caption id="attachment_22868" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Logan Lucky[/caption] The Artistic Director Antonio Monda today offered a preview of the 12th Rome Film Fest, which will take place from October 26th to November 5th 2017 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, extending, like last year, even further into the Italian capital. The complete lineup will be announced on Tuesday October 10th. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Like every year, ample space will be devoted to the Close Encounters (onstage conversations) with directors, actors and leading cultural figures. David Lynch | Lifetime Achievement Award Forty years after the release of his first feature-length film Eraserhead, the Rome Film Fest celebrates the genius of David Lynch with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The American filmmaker, who redefined contemporary cinema with his visionary oneiric style, will meet the audience and go through his extraordinary career from The Elephant Man to Mulholland Drive, from Blue Velvet to Inland Empire to the cult television series Twin Peaks. Lynch will discuss the three films that had the greatest influence on his career, including Federico Fellini’s 8½. Ian McKellen An extraordinary Shakespearean actor, winner of a Golden Globe and two Tony Awards, twice nominated for the Academy Award®, Ian McKellen will be the protagonist of a Close Encounter during the Rome Film Fest. The English actor rose to worldwide fame as Magneto in the “X-Men” film saga, and as Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies. Ian McKellen will share with the audience his deep love for cinema and, in particular, for the comic genius of Jacques Tati. Xavier Dolan Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for Mommy and of the 2016 Grand Prix for It’s Only the End of the World, at the young age of twenty-eight Xavier Dolan is already considered one of the most original and charismatic filmmakers of his generation. The young Canadian director will attend an onstage conversation and will talk about his career as an all-around artist, director and screenwriter of six hit feature-films and two music videos (including “Hello” for Adele), and as a highly regarded film and television actor. Chuck Palahniuk A surreal, non-conventional and controversial cult writer, Chuck Palahniuk won international acclaim for his first novel “Fight Club”, which became a world-wide best-seller following its remarkable film adaptation by David Fincher. The Close Encounter with Palahniuk will be called “American Gothic”: the novelist will talk about the horror films that have thrilled and unsettled him most. Vanessa Redgrave With a fifty-year career, Vanessa Redgrave is considered one of the greatest living actresses, having worked with great directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni (Blow-Up made her an international star), Fred Zinnemann (his film Julia won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), Sidney Lumet, James Ivory and Brian de Palma, among others. OFFICIAL SELECTION The official selection of the 12th Rome Film Fest will comprise about 35 feature-length films, including: Logan Lucky by Steve Soderbergh Following his incursion into the world of television series with the perturbing Gothic atmospheres of The Knick, Steven Soderbergh returns to the silver screen with Logan Lucky, an epic film that evokes the mood of the “Ocean” trilogy. In his new film, the director and winner of an Academy Award® for Traffic, the filmmaker of celebrated productions ranging from Sex, Lies and Videotape to Magic Mike, narrates a risky and elaborate robbery that takes place during the famous adrenalin-fuelled Nascar races. The star-studded cast features Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterston and Sebastian Stan. SPECIAL EVENT NYsferatu by Andrea Mastrovito | with the “Luigi Boccherini” Orchestra from Lucca The Rome Film Fest 2017 will host a special event combining cinema and music: the screening of the film NYsferatu by Andrea Mastrovito accompanied live by the “Luigi Boccherini” Orchestra from Lucca. The Italian artist, who lives and works in New York, has completed a hand-drawn version of one of the masterpieces of silent film, Nosferatu, the 1922 cult classic by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. The result, which required an extraordinary production effort with three years of work and around thirty-thousand drawings, is an animation film set in a dark and mysterious contemporary New York, rife with racial tension against immigrants. RETROSPECTIVE “The Italian School” is the title of the retrospective curated by Mario Sesti, which will take place during the twelfth edition of the Rome Film Fest. Organized in collaboration with the Istituto Luce Cinecittà and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, “The Italian School” was conceived to spotlight and explore the fundamental, but often lesser-known, work of some of the great professionals – from cinematographers to editors, from set designers to costume designers – who have played such an important role in the history of Italian cinema, without forgetting their contribution to the films of great international directors. FILM RESTORATIONS Three newly-restored great Italian films will be featured in the lineup of the Rome Film Fest: Dillinger è morto by Marco Ferreri, Miseria e nobiltà by Mario Mattoli (both in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia) and Sacco e Vanzetti by Giuliano Montaldo (with the Istituto Luce Cinecittà). INSTALLATION Contemporary art will be front and centre at the Rome Film Fest with an installation stemming from the creativity and interaction between six artists, six writers and six directors. The works of Piero Pizzi Cannella, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Roberto Pietrosanti, Marina Sagona, Giuseppe Salvatori and Marco Tirelli engage with the words of Edoardo Albinati, Claudio Damiani, Jhumpa Lahiri, Marco Lodoli, Aurelio Picca and Elena Stancanelli. The narration that ensues becomes moving image in the six short films by young directors that will be screened in the Auditorium. The work was conceived by Simona Marchini for the Associazione Culturale Palatina, with the consultancy of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. THE ROLE OF FILM CRITICISM Following last year’s success, the Rome Film Fest will continue to discuss the role of international film criticism with some of the finest critics from around the world, such as, A.O.Scott (The New York Times) and Justin Chang (Los Angeles Times). Film historian Annette Insdorf will join the panel. THE FILMS OF OUR LIVES: MUSICALS Like every year, the Artistic Director and the members of the Selection Committee will present the films that influenced their passion for the seventh art. After last year’s Westerns, the choice for this year’s twelfth edition will be Musicals. Each film will be accompanied by an onstage conversation with directors, actors and guests. Furthermore, before each screening at the upcoming Rome Film Fest, spectators will enjoy short clips of some of the most famous and evocative musicals.

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Richard Gere is at the 2014 Rome Film Festival where he presented the European premiere of Time Out Of Mind directed by Oren Moverman, in which he plays George, a homeless man who lives on the streets of New York.  Described as “A demanding, intense film, greeted with great interest by the audience of the Rome Film Festival as one of the most interesting directorial experiments of the festival; and yet another great performance by the actor.”

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Walter Salles, award-winning Brazilian director, screenwriter, and producer; Berlinale Golden Bear and Golden Globe-winner for Central do Brasil (1998) will be honored with the Marc’Aurelio Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 9th Rome Film Festival taking place October 16 to 25, 2014.  Director of one of the most beloved films in recent years, The Motorcycle Diaries, awarded in Cannes and Oscar®-winner for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures. On the occasion of the award ceremony, Walter Salles will present the world premiere screening of his new film Jia Zhangke, un gars de Fenyang. Salles considers Jia Zhangke “the most important contemporary filmmaker”. Marie-Pierre Duhamel and Marco Müller will moderate the on stage conversation with Walter Salles and Jia Zhangke.

“Jia Zhangke reminds us that film is still a place that can help us improve our understanding of the world that surrounds us”, Walter Salles stated. “He has become the most important film director of his generation for an increasing number of cinephiles. By way of his films, cinema can still be the quintessential ground for discovery and revelation. According to Jia Zhangke, film is a means of recording mutating memory while keeping track of something that won’t be there any longer. His films portray ordinary people that he defines as ‘power non-holders’. In the last scene of Sanxia Haoren (Still Life), a man is walking on a tightrope between two buildings scheduled to be demolished. Man in an unstable balance, obliged to relate to something bigger than himself, may well be the character in common among Jia Zhangke’s films. In moments like this, you become aware that his films are made of stuff transcending specific physical or human geography. His characters come from the Shanxi region. But the existential problems of his films don’t have borders. They involve all of us.”

Walter Salles, director, writer and producer, was born on the 12th April 1956. After A grande arte (High Art) and two splendid films codirected with Daniela Thomas, won international acclaim in 1998 for Central do Brasil (Central Station), winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale and two Oscar® nominations. He next directed Abril despedaçado (Behind the Sun, 2001) and Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries, 2004). In 2005 he made his Hollywood debut with the horror film Dark Water. His 2008 film Linha de passe earned Sandra Corveloni the Best Actress award at Cannes. He directed On the Road in 2012, a very successful adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s book deemed “unfilmable”. As an executive producer he’s currently working on La patota directed by Santiago Mitre and Celestina by José Rivera, featuring Bill Pullman.

FILMOGRAPHY

1991 A grande arte (High Art) | 1996 Terra estrangeira (Foreign Land) | 1998 Central do Brasil (Central Station) | 1998 O primeiro dia (Midnight) | 2001 Abril despedaçado (Behind the Sun) | 2004 Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) | 2005 Dark Water | 2008 Linha de Passe | 2012 On the Road

JIA ZHANGKE, UN GARS DE FENYANG / A GUY FROM FENYANG: JIA ZHANGKE
by Walter Salles, Brazil, France, 2014, 100’

With this film Jia Zhangke goes back to the location of all his films. He explores the genesis of his projects. He meets his leading actors, main collaborators, friends and “non-actors” who are the focus of his work. This is an affectionate portrait of Jia Zhangke’s memory that also originates a peculiar outlook on the role of cinema. The version presented in Rome is a work in progress.

image via Flickr

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