Born in the historic seaside city of Crotone, Calabria, actor Stefano Grillo is about to reach North American shores. “Quo vado?” is Checco Zalone’s box office record-breaking film and it is opening this year’s edition of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival in Canada. Grillo plays the part of Don Michele Vannucci, the pastor in a fictitious village in Calabria, called Castrovizzo. Don Michele Vannucci is a priest who fights against organized crime and because of this, ends up being transferred elsewhere. The focus of “Quo vado?” is on Checco Zalone (Luca Medici aka Checco Zalone). Born into a life of relative comfort and privilege among …

  The 16th edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema kicks off today, showcasing Italy’s contemporary filmmakers and their unique perspectives of the social issues facing their country. Co-organized with Istituto Luce Cinecittà in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, this year’s lineup is diverse. Maria Sole Tognazzi’s “Io e lei” (Me and Her) opens the series on Thursday. The Tognazzi cinema dynasty is thriving right now with four prolific offspring of the great Ugo Tognazzi: actor/director Ricky; actor Gian Marco; Norwegian producer/director Thomas Robsahm; and the youngest, director Maria Sole. I happened to be in Italy when …

  It’s just been announced that Film Movement distribution company will release the Taviani Brothers’ “Wondrous Boccaccio” on DVD June 21. From the dramatic music of the opening credits to the last frame of film, “Wondrous Boccaccio” is a poetic, surreal and yes, wondrous escape back in time. Based on stories written in the 14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio in “The Decameron,” the film depicts the dark ages of Tuscany during the plague when gravediggers couldn’t keep up with the demand. Iconic filmmakers, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani live up to their reputation by creating an atmosphere of loss, tragedy, fear, …

  Beginning today, the Film Society of Lincoln Center along with Istituto Luce Cinecittà will honor the distinguished career of Italian cinema icon Anna Magnani. “La Magnani,” an all-celluloid retrospective, will feature 24 works shown on 35mm or 16mm film. The series will take place at Lincoln Center in New York City, May 18 – June 1 leading right up to the much anticipated “Open Roads: New Italian Cinema.” Born in Rome in 1908, Anna Magnani became a highly respected Academy Award winning actress, but her beginnings were anything but glamorous. Magnani grew up in poverty. She was raised by …

  I read a quote about Paolo Genovese’s “Perfetti sconosciuti” (Perfect Strangers) – “Un film che rimane impresso, prima nella pancia e poi nella mente.” –A film that remains first in the stomach and then in the mind. That sums up how you will feel upon watching the film. This is a universal story, a testament to the times in which we live. From the writing to the directing to the acting to the lighting to the set design to the wardrobe, each person, every detail makes “Perfetti sconosciuti” a true masterpiece. I watched it several times. The first time, …

  The power of movies has proven itself time and time again throughout history. Cinema often mirrors the plights of society or recounts life-changing events. Such is the case with Peter Miller’s new documentary film, “Projections of America.” My first encounter with Miller happened in 2006 when I reviewed his beautiful documentary for Fra Noi, “Sacco and Vanzetti,” the heartbreaking story of two Italian immigrants executed for a crime they unlikely committed. Since then, I have remained in contact with Miller on social media. I saw that he was promoting his most recent film, so I had an idea to …

  When I first contacted screenwriter Francesca Serafini for an interview, I had no idea the incredible day I would have translating her words. Not only did I appreciate the information in her responses to my questions, but I also appreciated her poetic way of writing them. She has her craft down to a science. It turns out that in college, Francesca majored in the History of the Italian Language. Upon graduation, she began her career writing books and then in 2003 shifted her focus to screenwriting. Since then, she has worked in both film and television. Her latest project, …

  Ettore Scola was the last remaining master of Italian cinema. He passed away on January 19, 2016, at the age of 84. Born in 1931 in the southern region of Campania, Ettore Scola launched his filmmaking career in the early ’50s creating iconic films like “Un Americano a Roma” starring Alberto Sordi and “Il Sorpassso” starring Vittorio Gassman. However, he began writing long before. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, friend and colleague, Federico Fellini, Scola got his start writing for the Rome-based satire newspaper, Marc’Aurelio. He grew up reading the paper to his blind grandfather, with many of …

  The Museum of Modern Art’s current film series “Antonio Pietrangeli: A Retrospective” is in its final days, so if you’re in New York City this week, it’s still not too late to catch one of these Italian classics on the big screen. Born in Rome, Pietrangeli first studied medicine but fate took over when he assisted Luchino Visconti on his 1943 film, “Obsession.” Pietrangeli went on to contribute to the screenplays of Visconti’s “La Terra Trema” and Roberto Rossellini’s “Europa ’51” (in which he also appears as a psychiatrist). As a director, he wasted no time in finding his …

  Italy’s Oscar contender is about to make its U.S. premiere. Claudio Caligari’s “Non essere cattivo” (Don’t Be Bad) is in the lineup of “Cinema Italian Style” – LA’s annual showcase of conetemporary Italian cinema. Produced by Luce Cinecittà and the American Cinematheque, and under the artistic director of Italian journalist Laura Delli Colli, the festival is celebrating its 11th year with 11 fantastic, newly released films. See the complete lineup here. http://www.cinemaitalianstyle.net/films.html) “Non essere cattivo” premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival and was released shortly thereafter in Italy. Set in the 90’s along the Roman seaside town of …