Italian Cinema Today

" Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.”  -Albert Einstein My great-grandparents shortly after arriving in America Most Italian-Americans in their 40’s are third generation, which means our great-grandparents were part of the 12,000,000 people with hopes and dreams who arrived on Ellis Island during the mass immigration of the early 1900’s. Many of us are lucky enough to have known at least one of those brave souls. In my case, it was my great-grandmother Rosa Maria Nigro who immigrated to western New York from Rionero in Vulture, located in Italy's southern region of Basilicata. She came to America as a teenager in 1906. She married, raised four children (one of whom was killed on D-Day in World War II) and modestly lived the American dream. She passed away in 1980 when I was 8-years-old but she made a lifetime impression on ...

Update: May 5, 2016 It's just been announced that "Tutti gli Uomini hanno un Prezzo" will be featured in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in the section- Short Film Corner. See the festival's catalog for more information. (Intervista anche in italiano) At just 23-years-old, Andrea Filardi is getting international recognition for his poetic style of storytelling inspired by his southern Italian roots. His short film, “Tutti gli uomini hanno un prezzo” (All Men Have a Price) was a project he and his classmates created during a filmmaking course in his region of Basilicata. Top-notch actors, dedicated instructors, an enthusiastic crew and the passion they share for talking about a grave issue facing their land, led to a momentous student film and a beautiful, poignant story about the connection to one’s origins shadowed by the desperation for survival. The film has received its share of well-deserved praise and just recently, was acknowledged in the U.S. by three...

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty.  He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence.  Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Born in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, Rocco Papaleo has been working in cinema, television, theatre and cabaret for three decades. He's a familiar face to Italians and a naturally funny person whose jokester ways have made for many funny skits on variety shows and television series while his keen acting skills have made him one of Italy's most beloved character actors. Papaleo grew up in Lauria, a small city located in the province of Potenza in Basilicata. He moved to Rome when he was 18 years of age. Although acting seems second nature to him, it was not his chosen field. He originally majored in mathematics and planned on becoming a teacher. He had a change of heart after he saw how much a friend who was studying acting enjoyed her craft. It was not long after that change of heart that Papaleo starting working in the industry. He spent the first part of his career on stage and on the small screen and then moved to feature films in the '90s. Ba...