Peña (right) at the 2008 edition with Jasmine Trinca and Silvio Soldini The 17th edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is underway. Opening weekend is attracting crowds of New Yorkers curious to see the stories that contemporary Italian filmmakers are telling. Open Roads hit the ground running back in 2001. Since then there has always been a loyal following of moviegoers packing Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater ready to immerse themselves in the world of Italian cinema and ask the filmmakers about their visions and driving forces which result in such dramatic, compelling films. I believe the reason behind the festival’s success is its organizers. One will have to search far and wide before finding people with more passion for film and culture. It was nice to see one of the original organizers Richard Peña, a former program director for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, during the first couple days of this year's editio...
100+ YEARS OF THE GREAT ITALIAN MOVIEMAKERS