L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano " I have no expectations. I'm not the kind of person who expects anything from life, but I think the American audience will be able recognize a movie made with both heart and guts." The Calabrian actor Marcello Fonte of- ficially opened the 2018 edition of the Cinema Italian Style festival on November 13 th with an intense speech from the stage of the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Main character in the movie Dog- man by Matteo Garrone, and win- ner of the Palme d'Or as Best Ac- tor at the last Cannes Film Festival, Fonte was warmly wel- comed by the audience gathered for the opening night of the festi- val, dedicated to the best of con- temporary Italian cinema. Created in 2004 by Camilla Cormanni and Gwen Deglise, pro- duced and organized by Istituto Luce Cinecittà and the American Cinematheque, Cinema Italian Style started off with Matteo Gar- rone's film, which is the Italian candidate for the next Oscars as Best Foreign Language Film. "I had so much pleasure, like never before" said Fonte before the screening, recalling the shoot- ing of the movie that took place in Pinetamare, Caserta. "I didn't want anything else in my life, I wanted to find a person like Matteo Garrone who has been a teacher for me and gave me the opportunity to look deeply into myself and my life. Before I lived on the surface, but he made me go deep. I've improved both as an actor and as a person, I'm even more handsome! I advise all of you to let this story take you com- pletely." The evening was held in col- laboration with AFI FEST, the prestigious international festival organized by the American Film Institute, which this year, thanks to its partnership with the Istituto Luce Cinecittà, includes in its pro- gram: Daughter of Mine by Laura Bispuri, Happy As Lazzaro by Al- ice Rohrwacher and a preview of the first two episodes of My Bril- liant Friend by Saverio Costanzo. In addition to Dogman, awarded in Italy with eight Nastri D'Argento and applauded in dozens of international festivals, the CIS 2018 program includes eight movies selected by Laura Delli Colli, the artistic curator of the festival, along with Gwen Deglise. Of particular interest, Va- leria Golino's movie Euphoria, with Golino answering questions after the screening at the Aero SILVIA GIUDICI Cinema Italian Style opens with Dogman, Matteo Garrone's movie running for the Oscars is also introducing a student short film contest. Students from Santa Monica College, University of Southern California, Chapman University, and New York Film Academy Los Angeles, were prompted to create shorts, under 5 minutes, inspired by, or paying homage to, classic Italian cin- ema. The short films will be screened between November 15th and November 17th, preceding the feature film(s). Three finalists will be chosen by audience ballot to move forward to the final round for a chance to win a 4-day trip to Rome and a private guided tour of the Luce Cinecittà Stu- dios.  "We are very proud of this year's diverse lineup of films," said Roberto Cicutto. "They rep- resent the wide breadth of stories being told in contemporary cin- ema in Italy, while remaining rooted in the traditions of the great Italian classics." "This selection reflects the ab- solutely heterogeneous nature of contemporary Italian cinema and marks the ability of our authors, also the very young ones, to face in an original and lively way the current issues through the art of cinema, focusing on family, poli- tics, history, violence, betrayed legality, human relationships and much more," underlined Laura Delli Colli, responsible for the se- lection of the films in the festi- val. In addition to films and shorts, the event will also bring to Los Angeles the photographic and multimedia exhibition La Dolce Vitti, produced by Istituto Luce Cinecittà, and one of the most ac- claimed exhibition this year in Rome. Dedicated to one of the most loved divas of our history, the exhibition is curated by Nevio De Pascalis, Marco Dionisi and Stefano Stefanutto Rosa, and will be open until February 15th 2019 at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles directed by Valeria Rumori. Not only cinema, but also cui- sine. As highlighted by Consul General Antonio Verde, who is about to leave California for his new diplomatic mission in Egypt, Cinema Italian Style coincides with the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, in Los Angeles. "Many of our events summarize and at the same time highlight the synergy between stars of Italian cinema and stars of Italian cui- sine, as the Gala organized in Oc- tober by Cinecittà did. It was at- tended by famous chef Felice Sgarra, guest of the Italian con- sulate in LA." Theater in Santa Monica. The Italian actress, producer and director Valeria Golino was also honored during the opening night with the Cinecittà Key Award for Achievement in Me- dia, while Annabelle Attanasio was honored with the Cinecittà Key Rising Star Award. Attana- sio, an Italian American actress, writer and director, is known for her role in the CBS procedural- drama Bull, while Valeria Golino is best known to American audi- ences for her role in a string of popular films in the late-80s to mid-90s, including Rain Man, Hot Shots! Hot Shots! Part Deux, Immortal Beloved and Leaving Las Vegas. She made her Holly- wood debut in 1988 with starring roles in Big Top Pee-Wee and Rain Man, which would go on to be the highest-grossing film of the year, and won Best Picture at the 1988 Academy Awards and the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. "We decided to give the award this year to two recipients at dif- ferent stages of their career be- cause it was important to us to not only recognize achievement, but also to encourage its devel- opment," said Roberto Cicutto, president and CEO of Luce- Cinecittà. "Valeria is a recogniz- able figure and a Cannes Film Festival staple, who has been able to make a successful shift to di- recting feature films: certainly an example for other filmmakers to follow. Annabelle career is just starting to take off and she's build her own path; which is very ad- mirable and should be encour- aged."  Roman actress Sabrina Impac- ciatore was also attending the opening night and, in the name of the whole cast, she presented to America There Is No Place Like Home, Gabriele Muccino's latest family-centered comedy/drama. Also part of the program the in- ternational version - with its two chapters in a single film - of Loro by Paolo Sorrentino, which was particularly loved by the Los An- geles audience. People will also be able to enjoy Boys Cry, by twin brothers Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo, that tells the story of two best friends living on the outskirts of Rome who acciden- tally run someone over, only to find out the man was a mafia in- former. Other great movies arriving in Los Angeles are Naples in Veil, a psychological thriller by Ferzan Ozpetek, the social comedy Like A Cat on a Highway by Riccardo Milani, Nome di Donna by Marco Tullio Giordana, which deals with the theme of sexual harassment, and The Stolen Caravaggio by Roberto Andò, another female story in a male world. The selection also includes two short films: Magic Alps by Andrea Brusa and Marco Sco- tuzzi and Bismillah by Alessan- dro Grande. Two short yet pow- erful movies telling stories about migration. This year, Cinema Italian Style LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY Marcello Fonte and Valeria Golino at the Cinema Italian Style Press conference at the Hollywood Roosevelt . Foto: Ste- fania Rosini

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