L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano M ovie lovers, get ready for a three days of cinema from the Bel Paese! The New Italian Cinema - organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco and the N.I.C.E. - has a full program featuring Italy's newest directors and vet- eran filmmakers. The festival will take place from November 30th to December 2nd at the Vogue Theatre in San Francisco. This year's festival will put on screen six dramatic features also running for the City of Flo- rence Award, as well as dramatic films by veteran Italian directors and award-winning documen- taries. The City of Florence com- petition honors a first or second feature by an Italian director, chosen by the audience who cast their ballot after watching the movie, whereas the collaboration with Festival dei Popoli, show- casing Italian documentaries, continues in his path featuring Italian talents. A s highlighted by M rs Viviana del Bianco, Director of Florence-based N.I.C.E., "The association has been playing an important role in the program- ming of the New Italian cinema in the United States, with the dual purpose of presenting and promoting the works of directors capable of stylistic hazard and exploring new thematic areas." A nd concludes : "N .I.C.E. is proud of presenting these films in San Francisco, particularly because of their originality and quality". The 2018 edition focuses on a few themes, very much part of t h e I t a l i a n c u l t u r e a s k n o w n abroad: food and wine, Tuscany, documentaries and young men coming of age. Festival Director Nancy Fishman shares indeed some thoughts about the opening night. "As Needed is a great Ital- ian storytelling piece, highly entertaining and appealing to the Bay Area's food lovers. Also, I think actor Luigi Fedele, who p l a y s t h e y o u n g c h e f w i t h Asperger's, is a true talent to watch." And adds: "I also like the fact that this film celebrates neuro-diversity and foresees the idea that we may think different- ly but we all share a common h u m a n i t y a n d t h e l o v e f o r food." As the closing night features two documentaries from the Fes- tival dei Popoli, Mrs Fishman underlines that "These are excel- lent films showcasing the skill and the sophistication of Italian documentary filmmakers. Many Americans are familiar with the storied history of Cinecitta's dra- mas and comedies and the world renowned era of Italian neoreal- SERENA PERFETTO In Open to the Public, the hous ing authority of N aples manages forty thousands public housing units. Its offices are h o m e t o a r g u m e n t s b e t w e e n employees - who try to follow regulations with impartiality - and the multitudes of applicants - who need housing. In her fea- ture-length cinema vérité docu- mentary, Silvia Bellotti's non- judgmental lens lies between capturing Kafkaesque absurdity and quirky episodes of Neapoli- tan comedy. Open To The Pub- lic won the Premio del Pubblico (Audience Award) at the 2017 Festival dei Popoli. Hotel Gagarin, directed by Simone Spada, shows how a crooked producer dupes five hopeful Italians into traveling to Armenia to shoot a film. Nicola, a rumpled history teacher, can't believe his script will actually b e p r o d u c e d , w h i l e f l i g h t y Patrizia embraces an unexpected acting career. Their shooting location - the secluded, wintry Hotel Gagarin - becomes home w h e n t h e y a r e m a r o o n e d i n Armenia for months because of a military skirmish. The cast finds unexpected opportunities for creativity and happiness. Film tickets are available at the Box office (415 552-5580) or at www.newitaliancinema.org ism, as well as great contempo- rary Italian directors like Paolo Sorrentino. Yet, they are less familiar with Italy's documen- t a r y f i l m m a k e r s . " A n d s h e recalls how "Enrico Maisto's T h e C a l l c a p t u r e s t h e e x a c t moment when we go from being ordinary citizens to being citizen judges, in the thought provoking role of being a juror." On a personal note, as Naples represents Director Fishman's f a v o r i t e l a r g e c i t y i n I t a l y (including its chaos, its zest for life, its legacy of Commedia del- l'Arte, its food and mostly the people in their humor and hospi- tality), she can't help but under- line how "Silvia Bellotti's Open to Public shows the humor and humanity of those city's people from its heroic social workers to t h o s e s e e k i n g h e l p f r o m t h e housing office." Most of these movies could be considered an homage to Tuscany, as the beauty of the region and the richness of its c u l t u r e w i l l b e s h o w n i n Francesco Falaschi's As Needed - a delightful romp that takes the viewer on a culinary road trip to Tuscany - and in Walter Benci- ni's The Last Italian Cowboys, a l o v e s o n g t o t h e M a r e m m a region and the cowboys who work on one of the last ranches breeding cattle and horses in the wild. Director Fishman conclud- ed: "We are pleased that The Last Italian Cowboys will be introduced by Renato Sardo, founder of Slow Food US, and Sonoma-based photographer Gabrielle Saveri, who has docu- mented Italian cowboys. We also welcome back Gianmarco D ' A g o s t i n o , F l o r e n c e b a s e d documentary filmmaker, who will present The Whole World, One Step at the Time, a short documentary about a Tuscan man who finds his life's work in c r e a t i n g b e t t e r e d u c a t i o n a l opportunities and healthcare for children in Bangladesh." C o n s u l G e n e r a l L o r e n z o O r t o n a , c u r r e n t l y a c t i n g a s Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, shares his enthusiasm about the festival: "I am very pleased that we are able to host, once again and for the 22nd year, a contemporary Italian Film Festival in San Francisco. The opening night has a very delicate movie on the relation- ship between cuisine and autism and I am very grateful to film director Francesco Falaschi - who will be at the screening - for bringing the attention of the public to a very important issue. This year's focus will also be on documentaries, another impor- tant strength of Italian filmmak- ers, probably less known abroad, and stories on aspects of the Ital- ian life." As Needed (Quanto basta) is a delightful comedy that takes the audience on a culinary road trip to Florence, culminating in a contest for young cooks. Vinicio Marchioni is a charming veteran chef with anger management problems, performing communi- ty service at a school for teens with Asperger's. The star stu- dent, played by Luigi Fedele, is a young man who remembers every ingredient in every recipe. The Italian National Syndicate of F ilm J ournalis ts aw arded Luigi Fedele with the Graziella Bonacchi Award for his excep- tional performance in a movie celebrating neuro-diversity. The Call is a beautifully shot and scored cinema vérité movie, able to observe the unknown jurors tasked with the highest civil responsibility with pro- found humanity. Enrico Mais- to's documentary is an excep- tional chronicle of the day when a citizen comes into direct con- tact with the administration of justice. The Call was awarded Best Mid-length Documentary at H o t D o c s a n d t h e P r e m i o MyMovies Audience Award at the Festival dei Popoli. A scene taken from movie "AS NEEDED" SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY 2018 New Italian Cinema, a sparkling edition featuring Tuscany and new talents from the Italian movie scene

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