Italian Cinema Today

UPDATE (JULY 17, 2025) Now in its sixth year, the Rochester Global Short Film Series is a celebration of world cinema. The first edition was held in Rochester, New York in March of 2020 just before the world paused for the global pandemic. We have come a long way since then! We pride ourselves in providing a platform for the voices and perspectives of independent filmmakers. Home of Eastman Kodak and nicknamed "The World's Image Center", Rochester has a long history of supporting the performing arts. It is the birthplace of numerous renowned artists including Oscar-winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Oscar-nominated actor John Lithgow, Oscar-nominated actor Robert Forster, actress Kristen Wiig and soprano Renée Fleming.  Silent film star Louise Brooks spent the last years of her life in Rochester writing her memoir, “Lulu in Hollywood.” Known for her independent spirit and displeasure with pretentiousness, she is one of the influences behind the event. The other influe...

“I was born and raised on the island of Ischia, a thermal and volcanic island, to which I belong. It’s the place where I recharge myself with energy, where I am in contact with the elements of nature, magnificent and fearsome as only a volcanic island can be.” Lucianna De Falco is your quintessential southern Italian woman, reflecting the magnificent land of her origins. Beautiful, passionate and exuding strength, she is a character actress who has four decades of roles under her belt. Whether she is on stage, the big screen or television, she has an undeniable commanding presence. “I started my career as an actress thanks to the confidence my mother gave me as a child, De Falco explained. “She had a hair salon where I listened to the various idioms of her foreign clientele. I would asked her, "What language is it?" She always replied, "It's German" or It’s Russian,” making me believe that I could speak all the languages of the world, and thus giving ...

She studies cinema and television production at the  Accademia Delle Belle Arti Di Napoli but even before enrolling, she was well on her way to becoming a gifted storyteller and filmmaker. Born in Naples in 1996, Angela Bevilacqua knew early on that she had a passion for cinema and she didn’t waste any time exploring it. She made her first short film when she was just 17-years-old. Il teatro dei ricordi (The Theater of Memories) stars Alessia Alciati and veteran French actor Jean Sorel who is known for his role opposite Claudia Cardinale in Luchino Visconti's 1965 Sandra . An ambitious first effort, the film premiered as a Special Event at the 2014 Giffoni Film Festival . Il teatro dei ricordi is an enigmatic tale of a tormented woman looking for a temporary escape. The film opens in a dense forest as a young woman is walking around looking dazed and confused. She starts to run as if in a panic while a violin resounds. Shortly thereafter, she finds herself in an theater with...

I saw a very intense short film last night at the Rome Independent Film Festival directed by a woman and starring a woman. L’Attesa (The Wait) follows a mother who is frantically trying to locate her son after she hears about a terrorist attack in London where he is studying abroad.  The film is 24 minutes long and is carried entirely by actress Lucianna De Falco. Her performance was so subtle yet intense, you could not help but think of Anna Magnani. De Falco is a character actress who has appeared in numerous movies over the years and has worked with the likes of Lina Wertmuller, Ferzan Ozpetek, Carlo Vanzini and Paolo Genovese. One of her more recent roles was in Ammore e malavita by the Manetti Brothers.  The short film was directed by a 23-year-old Neapolitan writer/director named Angela Bevilacqua. This is her second film. She actually made her first when she was just 17. The Theater of Memories premiered at the 44th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival. She...