Italian Cinema Today

With independent film festivals popping up in every region of Italy, the short film or cortometraggio has taken on a whole new life of its own. The short films generally range from 2 minutes to 20 minutes covering a variety of topics. They are made by seasoned filmmakers and amateurs alike and are featured in the smallest of film festivals to established festivals like La Biennale di Venezia. Many even make their way to North America in festivals such as Open Roads: New Italian Cinema in New York City, the Tribeca Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. Below are a few of my favorite short films to come out of Italy in the past few years. They feature professional actors as well as local actors making their screen debuts. Some scenes were shot on studio sets while others were shot in the quaint streets and towns of the filmmakers themselves. All films below are in Italian with English subtitles. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have.. Becaus...

The official lineup has not yet been released. However, according the film's creators, Maria , starring actress Anna Ferruzzo, has been chosen for the 59th annual Rochester International Film Festival . Originally named the Shoestring Festival, the program features short films from all over the world. I've attended this festival many times and the films are truly spectacular. In past editions, many were the final projects made by students of renowned film schools such as USC and UCLA. I am looking forward to seeing this much-talked about Italian short and seeing one of my favorite actress on the big screen in my hometown of Rochester, New York. With Anna Ferruzzo at the 2016 Rome Fiction Fest The festival runs April 20-22. In the meantime, check out my interview with Anna Ferruzzo  and watch the trailer..