Film

On April 9, 2018, the American premiere of Francesco Lama’s documentary film “I Siciliani” will take place in New York at the Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò of New York University. Additionally, Lama will present his book “The Sicilians,” which includes the DVD, the screenplay of the movie and photos. The next day, Lama will hold a masterclass at Montclair University in New Jersey and on April 11th, there will be a meeting with the Federation of Sicilians in New Jersey. “I Siciliani” is one man’s story about exploring the people, stories and traditions of Sicily. He talks with people of …

  There is a strong presence of Italian cinema at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, which is underway. In addition to Italy’s six films, Italian actress Matilda De Angelis was named one of European cinema’s shooting stars. The following films will be shown during the festival: “Boys Cry” by Damiano D’Innocenzo and Fabio D’Innocenzo: Panorama Section “Daughter of Mine” by Laura Bispuri: Competition “The Happy Prince” by Rupert Everett: Berlinale Special “Land” by Babak Jalali: Panorama Section “Lornello and Brunello” by Jacopo Quadri: Culinary Cinema “Lobster Dinner” by Gregorio Franchetti: Short films in Generation Kplus Devoted to children and …

  The region of Basilicata will be featured this weekend in the PBS show “Dream of Italy.” Host Kathy McCabe explores the stunning landscapes and culinary traditions of the ancient region also known as Lucania. McCabe tours the ancient Sassi of Matera, the towns of the Dolomite Lucani and meets up with Francis Ford Coppola at his resort Palazzo Margherita. Located in Bernalda, the town of Coppola’s Italian origins, McCabe strolls through the resort’s enchanting grounds with the great maestro of cinema and talks with local culinary experts about the pure, locally produced food. Since beginning our series “Basilicata: Land of Cinema” …

  Today kicks off the first complete retrospective in New York in more than a decade dedicated to the work of filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni. Presented with Luce Cinecittà, Rome, and featuring nearly 40 35mm prints and digital preservations, the lineup includes the renowned trilogy of “L’Avventura,” “L’Eclisse,” and “La Notte,” starring Monica Vitti as well as a diverse collection of films spanning his varied four-decade career. Antonioni made a career out of mesmerizing audiences with his films of complicated relationships that raise questions but leave many of the answers to the viewer. In a 1969 interview with American film critic …

  In our ongoing series “Basilicata: Terra di Cinema,” we are focusing today on a new film by two of Basilicata’s most prolific filmmakers: Antonio Andrisani and Pascal Zullino. Since our series began in 2015, this issue of oil drilling has been present among the region’s contemporary filmmakers. So much so, that it would be disrespectful to the filmmakers to overlook it. Through their work, the directors express their concerns over the oil drilling, which began in the region in 1996. Nicknamed “Little Texas,” the drilling site in Basilicata produces a staggering 80,000 barrels a day. This production has led …

  Director Andrea Pallaoro’s second feature film has been described as “the intimate portrait of a woman going through an identity crisis.” “Hannah,” starring British actress Charlotte Rampling, premiered in September at the 74th Venice Film Festival, earning a Best Actress prize for Rampling, and is now headed to the Chicago Film Festival. Pallaoro made his debut in the Orizzonti section of the 2013 Venice Film Festival with “Medeas,” an emotionally heavy drama, which follows members of a family with deep-rooted problems struggling to coexist together under the same roof. It’s a deeply personal film for the spectator because it …

  It was just announced that Italy’s entry for the Oscar race will be a small, independent film made in the south. “A Ciambra,” directed by Jonas Carpignano with Martin Scorsese as one of the executive producers, takes place within a small community in Calabria. 14-year-old Pio Amato is in a hurry to grow up and follows his older brother Cosimo everywhere. Through him, he learns how to navigate the streets of their hometown. One night, Pio sets out to prove to his brother that he is as good or better than him but when things go wrong, a series …

  The 47th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival is now in the record books. Over the last week, the signature Blue Carpet has been graced with filmmakers who have come from all over the world to celebrate cinema dedicated to children and teens. The first edition of the Giffoni Film Festival took place in 1971 in its namesake city of Giffoni Valle Piana, which is located in the region of Campania. The festival has served not only as an event to watch films, but also as a place for youngsters to learn about the filmmaking process. The French master François Truffaut is …

The 2017 edition of Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival is keeping with tradition in featuring a number of contemporary Italian films. The very first edition of the festival took place on August 23, 1946, with a screening of Giacomo Gentiloma’s “’O sole mio” on the lawn of the Grande Hotel. In the years that followed, programmers embraced the great movement of Italian Neo-Realism and today, the cinema of Italy continues to be a leading protagonist of the festival. This year’s Italian selections include Andrea Magnani’s “Easy,” the story of a depressed race car driver missing his days of glory; Marco Tullio Giordana’s …

  Another successful edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is underway in New York City. Now in its 17th year, the annual series is going strong with numerous award-winners along with some unique independent films. The series, which runs until June 7, is a group effort by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Istituto Luce Cinecittà, the Italian Trade Commission and the Italian Cultural Institute New York; Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò—NYU not to mention the tireless champions of Italian cinema who have been with this festival since the beginning- Antonio Monda, Griselda Guerrasio and Monique Catalina. One of the highlights of the 17th edition is …