L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano I n November, as Seat- tle temperatures dip and the ever-present rains return, there is a n o t h e r h a r b i n g e r that marks the coming of fall: Cinema Italian Style. The popular Italian film festival, now in its 16 th sea- son, was held from Novem- ber 7-14 this year. During its eight-day run, 15 films were showcased, featuring some of t h e b e s t o f c o n t e m p o r a r y Italian cinema. "This year we are bringing s o m a n y t e r r i f i c f i l m s t o S e a t t l e a u d i e n c e s , " s a i d Beth Barrett, SIFF artistic director. "There's Italy's offi- cial 2025 Oscar submission V e r m i g l i o a n d t h e f i l m T h e r e ' s S t i l l T o m o r r o w which was Italy's biggest box office success in 2023. We'll b e f e a t u r i n g a n e w 4 K restoration of Antonioni's Il Grido and welcoming direc- tor Simone Bozzelli with his debut film Patagonia. And so much more! We're always excited to partner with Seat- tle's Italian community to bring these incredible films to film-loving audiences." A l t h o u g h a l i t t l e b i t o f e v e r y t h i n g w a s o n t a p – t h r i l l e r s , b u d d y m o v i e s , comedies – it seemed that this year's selection favored drama. Screenings included a gripping submarine thriller set during World War II, The War Machine (Comandante) as well as a look at the life of a p i a n o p r o d i g y w h o i s s h u n n e d b y h e r m o t h e r b e c a u s e o f a p r o m i n e n t birthmark (The Life Apart or La Vita Accanto). The opening film at the f e s t i v a l f e a t u r e d a c t r e s s P a o l a C o r t e l l e s i i n t h e b l o c k b u s t e r T h e r e ' s S t i l l T o m o r r o w ( C ' è A n c o r a Domani), a production that a l s o m a r k e d C o r t e l l e s i ' s directorial debut. In this grit- t y a n d m o v i n g d r a m a , C o r t e l l e s i p l a y s D e l i a , a w o r k i n g - c l a s s w i f e a n d m o t h e r w h o s t r u g g l e s t o escape domestic abuse and f i n d a m o r e p r o m i s i n g future. The unexpected twist at the end will surely surprise audiences. The film played to a sell- out crowd at SIFF Cinema U p t o w n . I n o p e n i n g r e m a r k s , S I F F ' s B a r r e t t s h a r e d t h a t T h e r e ' s S t i l l Tomorrow was the highest- g r o s s i n g f i l m i n I t a l y i n 2023 and the highest-gross- ing film of all time from an Italian female director. The opening-night remarks con- tinued with a warm welcome from Mark Ippolito, presi- dent, Seattle Perugia Sister City Association, a key festi- v a l s p o n s o r , a n d M i k e James, former sister-city association president, who took a look at how Cinema Italian Style started. According to James, the idea of a Seattle Italian film festival was hatched 16 years ago by his wife Donna who a p p r o a c h e d C a r l S p e n c e , then artistic director of the Seattle International Film Festival, to ask if his organi- zation would be willing to partner on a new film festi- val. Spence agreed but only if $5,000 could be raised. D o n n a n e x t a p p r o a c h e d M a t t G a l v i n o f P a g l i a c c i Pizza who didn't hesitate to provide the funding; Pagli- a c c i P i z z a w e n t o n t o become the festival's prime sponsor for the next decade. During the 2024 festival, Seattle audiences saw the scope and breadth of con- temporary Italian cinema. In the film, In the Mirror (Mi Fanno Male i Capelli), Alba Rohrwacher, who won a best actress award at the Rome F i l m F e s t i v a l , p l a y s a n amnesiac who re-imagines her life as the iconic actress Monica Vitti. The film is an homage to the beloved Ital- i a n a c t r e s s w h o d i e d i n 2022. O n t h e l i g h t e r s i d e , a c r o w d f a v o r i t e i n c l u d e d W h a t a L i f e ! ( I o V i v o Altrove!), featuring a pair of lovable, middle-aged losers both named Fausto. The two Faustos leave the hustle of Rome to live a simpler life in the Friuli countryside but m i s f o r t u n e s f o l l o w w h i l e they pursue their dream of living off the land. Other comedies included My Place is Here (Il Mio Posto è Qui) in which a sin- gle mother befriends a local gay wedding planner, and Mascarpone – The Rain- bow Cake (Maschile Plu- rale) where delicious baked goods have their own star- ring role alongside Antonio and Luca, friends who cross paths for the first time in several years. A s a l w a y s , t h e f e s t i v a l screened one classic film. T h i s y e a r M i c h e l a n g e l o Antonioni's 1957 classic Il G r i d o w a s s e l e c t e d . T h e movie, recently restored by Janus Films, tells the story of a northern Italian sugar- f a c t o r y w o r k e r w h o i s rebuffed in love and ends up fleeing his life in the Po Val- ley. Over the years, Cinema Italian Style has grown in popularity to become a sta- ple of film aficionados and the Italian community. The November time frame not only helps combat the sea- sonal blues but also gives organizers access to films that played at festivals in V e n i c e o r R o m e o r w e r e recently released for Oscar consideration. " T h i s i s o n e o f S I F F ' s m o s t b e l o v e d a n n u a l events," said Stan Shields, SIFF associate director of festival programming. "We are grateful to our partners and patrons who return year after year to celebrate Ital- ian cinema." Community participation is a defining factor of the festival, whether as a spon- s o r , I t a l i a n c o m m u n i t y member or the general pub- lic. Presenting sponsors and partners include the Seattle Perugia Sister City Associa- tion, Tutta Bella, University of Washington Department of French and Italian Stud- ies, Seattle Dante Alighieri S o c i e t y , K U O W , C a s c a d e PBS, Cinecittà and the Ital- ian Cultural Institute in San F r a n c i s c o u n d e r t h e a u s - pices of San Francisco's Ital- ian Consulate General. RITA CIPALLA Seattle celebrates the best in Italian cinema Cinema Italian Style opened in Seattle in November with a gripping performance by actress Paola Cortellesi in the emotionally charged film, "There's Still Tomorrow" — the number-one box office hit in Italy for 2023 (Photo: SIFF) "In The Mirror" stars Alba Rohrwacher as Monica, a woman who tries to find meaning in her life by pretending to be the actress Monica Vitti (Photo: SIFF) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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