American Cinematheque and Cinecittа Holding, an Italian organization that promotes Italian films internationally, have come together again this year to present the Fourth annual Cinema Italian Style. The film festival is meant to publicize contemporary Italian films abroad by showcasing some of the best Italy has to offer at American Cinematheque
Showcased this year are "Napoleon and I", depicts the French leader through the eyes of an Italian assassin, and "The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio," a documentary about the formation of a multi-ethnic orchestra, named after the Piazza in Rome where it formed and reflects its aura.
Cinecittа and the Cinematheque are looking to find collaborators to expand the event to other major US Cities.
Cinema proves itself polyglot at American Cinematheque
Cinema Italian Style, at American Cinematheque, brings contemporary Italian cinema to American viewers.
Daily Trojan
University of Southern California
By Rachel Grice
October 17, 20007
Busy waiters negotiate their way through the open-air courtyard, offering guests delicious hors d'oeuvres from trays precariously balanced on a single hand.
The noise of fervent conversations being carried on in some foreign language mingles with the smoke from cigarettes held daintily in the hands of perfectly dressed women.
This is cinema, Italian style.
American Cinematheque and Cinecittа Holding, an Italian organization that promotes Italian films internationally, have come together again this year to present the fourth annual Cinema Italian Style. The film festival is meant to publicize contemporary Italian films abroad by showcasing some of the best Italy has to offer at American Cinematheque's two theaters: the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. In addition to the film screenings (see "Napoleon and I," right), the festival also includes Q&A panels, receptions and an awards presentation, uniting celebrities and American filmmakers with key members of the Italian film industry.
The idea for Cinema Italian Style was born out of Silvia Bizio's passion for Italian films. Bizio, an international film correspondent for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, along with her friend Camilla Cormanni, who is in charge of special events for Cinecittа Holding, noticed the half-hearted attempts of their contemporaries to promote Italian cinema abroad and wanted to change the way foreigners perceived their country's films.
"We want distributors to realize there is a market for Italian films in America," said Bizio, who has also written the book "Cinema Italian Style."
So Cinecittа partnered with American Cinematheque to create an event that would draw not only Italians and Italian-Americans, but would also foster an appreciation for Italian films in a broader American audience.
The festival started small - in 2004, American Cinematheque owned only one theater, the Egyptian - but the turnout was encouraging. The following year, it added the awards ceremony and began showing films at the Aero.
This year, the event has drawn its largest audiences yet. "The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio," a documentary about the formation of a multi-ethnic orchestra, premiered to a full house on the second night of the festival.
Another notable change over the past four years is the increasing support from major Italian studios, actors and even private donors.
Though the festival has always received the support of the state and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, individual donors like fashion designer Alberta Ferretti, motorcycling gear manufacturer Dainese and handbag designer Valextra, have taken notice of the festival's growing success and become involved.
Producer Dino de Laurentiis said that cinema is one of the most important ambassadors of culture, and Cinema Italian Style has proven that films are universal.
The president of Cinecittа Holding, Alessandro Battisti, said, "Our industry is enjoying a remarkably good moment, thanks to some talented young directors able to touch audiences beyond our domestic borders."
Bizio attributes increased cultural awareness to the nature of films themselves. "Cinema can speak many languages," she said. "And the form can speak to anyone."
Though the festival currently only shows the films in Los Angeles, Bizio hopes Cinecittа and the Cinematheque will be encouraged to expand the event to other cities.
"People need to be encouraged to look at life from a different perspective," Bizio said. "It will bring us closer together."
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