The program for the 72nd edition of the Venice Film Festival was announce recently, and it’s really the perfect combination of maestro, indie and everything in between. The festival is known for its annual showcase of international artists and this year is no exception. And four Italian directors presenting their films in the main competition, there is a strong Italian presence. They are Marco Bellocchio with “Sangue del mio sangue,” Luca Guadagnino with his English-language film “A Bigger Splash,” Giuseppe Gaudino with “Per amor vostro” and Piero Messina with “L’attesa.” Three Italian films will be in competition for Venice …

  As part of my series, “Basilicata: Terra di Cinema,” I am revisiting an article that I wrote for our printed edition. It was inspired by a music video by the music group, Patchanka Soledada. I’ve written often about the new generation of Italian filmmakers who take their cameras to the streets and offer a real perspective on everyday Italian life. Well, I discovered a wonderful film in which a group of artists have done just that. Musicians turned filmmakers. It’s indie filmmaking at its finest and now it has brought to light one Basilicata town via the internet. Matera-based music group, Patchanka Soledada has created a …

    Just before his new film “Youth” premiered at Cannes, Paolo Sorrentino announced that he will be heading to the small screen next along with Jude Law for a show called “The Young Pope.” The eight-part drama will follow the life of Lenny Belardo, an Italian American who becomes pontiff. The official statement describes him as “a complex and conflicted character, so conservative in his choices as to border on obscurantism, yet full of compassion towards the weak and poor. He is a man of great power who is stubbornly resistant to the Vatican courtiers, unconcerned with the implications …

  He’s had roles in some of the biggest Italian blockbusters of the new millennium and the one thing they all have in common is a fearless protagonist willing to fight until the end against organized crime. Sicilian born actor Domenico Centamore is proud of his heritage and has worked on films that make strong statements against the corruption his culture has had to endure. He’s had roles in popular Mafia-themed films such as “I cento passi” (One Hundred Steps), “La mafia uccide solo d’estate” (The Mafia Only Kills in Summer) and most recently, “Anime nere” (Black Souls). Centamore has …

  Basilicata is emerging as Italy’s Land of Cinema. It’s a vast, spacious land untouched and unpolluted by industry. Its rolling hills, majestic mountains and ancient buildings have stood the test of time. Throughout the years, it has served as a backdrop for iconic filmmakers like Pier Paolo Pasolini and Francesco Rosi. Now, a whole new generation of filmmakers is discovering the magic of Basilicata as a natural set, bringing the region to the world’s stage once again. Edoardo Leo’s award-winning film, “Noi e La Giulia,” is the latest high-profile film to be shot in Basilicata. Adapted from Fabio Bartolomei’s book, …

  “We’re born with our hands full. That’s why as newborn babies, we clench our fists: because we have the best gifts we could ever wish for — innocence, curiosity, a will to live. But then, they bring us up to be God-fearing. So, we can’t blame ourselves for fearing everything else as well.” So the voiceover intones at the end of Edoardo Leo’s “Noi e La Giulia,” a hilarious, thought-provoking trip that begins when you wake up one day over the age of 40 and realize that you don’t have a whole lot in life to account for. “You …

  There’s something about Italian films that gets under my skin. When I watch them, I always ride a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from nostalgia to sentimentality to anger to sadness to fear to joy to empathy. For more than a decade now, I look forward every year to the media screenings of the films selected for Lincoln Center’s annual Italian film series, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. I anticipate the films bringing me into the worlds of their complex characters and the artists responsible for creating them. I look forward to this kind of cinematic escape, and every year, …

  When many of us Italian-Americans imagine our families back in Italy, we have visions of beautiful, welcoming people filled with warmth and enthusiasm. Since all of my great-grandparents came from the regions of Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily, I have a special affection for the south. My paternal great grandfather came from Calabria, so I naturally consider all Calabrese warm and full of love and compassion like him and his children; my grandfather and great aunts. Well that is exactly what I found when I contacted “Anime nere” (Black Souls) cast member, Stefano Priolo for an interview about his beloved …

  “Black Souls” (Anime nere) is the latest Italian film to make its way to American shores, and it’s being warmly embraced by our critics and audiences. The title is appropriate for the tone of the film. It is very dark indeed. Its characters are trapped in a world dominated by organized crime. But “Black Souls” is not your typical mafia movie. It’s a story about brothers and family bonds. The cast — led by profoundly talented actors Marco Leonardi, Fabrizio Ferracone and Peppino Mazzotta — have so much chemistry, it’s easy to forget you’re watching a movie. Africo, the …

  The international appeal of Italian cinema is growing with each passing year. American audiences in particular are being treated to dozens of contemporary Italian films through festivals all over the country. However, it isn’t every day that we get a nationwide theatrical release. Such is the case with Francesco Munzi’s latest film, “Anime nere” (Black Souls). The title is appropriate for the tone of the film. It is indeed a very dark film in which its characters are trapped in a world where their lives are dominated by organized crime. When I first saw the film, my initial reaction …