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Showing posts from December, 2015

"Stand by me" by Giuseppe Marco Albano Named One of the Top 5 Italian Short Films

Corto Italiano names the Top 5 short films of the last 5 years and Basilicata's Giuseppe Marco Albano and Antonio Andrisani made that list with "Stand by me". Directed by Albano, and starring Andrisani, the film won the Nastro D'Argento in 2012. The entire Top 5 list.. 37°4 S di Adriano Valerio Margerita di Alessandro Grande Passing Time di Laura Bispuri Stand by me di Giuseppe Marco Albano Tiger boy di Gabriele Mainetti

Shooting for "Smetto Quando Voglio 2" begins in March

A Smetto Quando Voglio trilogy is currently in the works and shooting for the second installment will get started in Rome this March. The original cast- Edoardo Leo , Valeria Solarino , Paolo Calabresi, Stefano Fresi, Libero De Rienzo, Pietro Sermonti, Lorenzo Lavia and Valerio Aprea - is reportedly returning and some new faces may be joining them. I credit director Sydney Sibilia and his amazing cast with making the funniest, most clever film I have ever seen. The story recounts a group of professors and scientists who lost their jobs and were forced to find work washing dishes and pumping gas just to make ends meet. Completely fed up, Pietro (Edoardo Leo) comes up with a plan to develop a legal drug that he could sell to club kids looking for a quick high. He enlists the help of his fellow down-on-their-luck geniuses, which include an economist, chemist and anthropologist. The group goes on to make money beyond their wildest dreams. But with the money comes a whole new host of

"20 Years in 20 Films" at the Casa del Cinema in Rome

Penelope Cruz and Sergio Castellitto in "Non ti muovere" If you’re in Rome, there is a cinema event that is not to be missed. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the production and distribution company,Medusa, the Casa del Cinema is screening twenty of the greatest Italian and international hits during the recent history of cinema in Italy.    The film series is already underway. Below is the schedule of the remaining films until the last day on 6 January. All evenings are Double Bills beginning at 4:00PM.   29 December -   “L’ultimo bacio” by Gabriele Muccino; “Respiro” by Emanuele Crialese   30 December – “The Dreamers” by Bernardo Bertolucci; “Non ti muovere” by Sergio Castellitto   1 January – “Quo vadis, baby?” by Gabriele Salvatores; “Match Point” by Woody Allen   2 January – “Grindhouse” by Quentin Tarantino; “Honor thy Father and thy Mother” by Sidney Lumet   3 January -   “La doppia ora” by Giuseppe Capotondi; “La prima cosa bella” by P

Actor Ivan Boragine on Gomorra, Growing up in Napoli and his Love for Theater

Neapolitan actor Ivan Boragine embraces everything that is Napoli. From his pride and passion to his nostalgia and sadness, Napoli is always in his heart. That is why his role in the popular Italian television series Gomorra has been the role of a lifetime. Not only has the worldwide   broadcast (64 countries) skyrocketed him to fame, it has given him a way to bring to light the problems and corruption of one generation so that the next could have a better chance. I met with Boragine recently while I was in Rome. I found him to be down-to-earth and honest about the pride and love he has for his culture and also for his art. We spoke a lot about his hometown of Napoli and the impact the Neapolitan theater has had on actors. We also talked about his role in Gomorra and how it fuels his love for acting.   Boragine got his start in acting a little over a decade ago when he landed a role in a local theater production of the Neapolitan classic, Miseria e Nobilità (Misery and Nobility)

Basilicata: Terra di Cinema- 5 Questions for Alexander Maffei – a creator of “While” Webseries

A brand new webseries is about to hit the YouTube airwaves. Shot entirely in the region of Basilicata, While focuses on an 18-year old man who sets out to discover his identity while affected by a mysterious power. It is a 7-episodes-long science-fiction webseries directed by Alexander Maffei and Simone Martone. It premieres December 28, 2015. I asked creator Alexander Maffei to tell me all about this interesting new series, and he responded with an articulate, detailed account of every stage of the project. What is While about? What is the plot? While is the first Italian webseries about time travel. It is about the journey through time and space, and also in the mind and in the conscience of an 18-year-old boy who has the ability to travel through time, without being able to change the events he experiences. He decides to find a way to free himself from this condition of imprisonment, and to do so he will have to go to extreme measures. Maratea In which locations aroun

Just Launched: Italian Cinema & Art Today YouTube Channel for Monica Bellucci's "Ville-Marie"

Monica Bellucci and Guy Édoin at the Festa del Cinema in Rome In an attempt to make it easier to post videos on this blog, I started a YouTube Channel . The very first video I uploaded is a soundbite by Monica Bellucci from the press conference for the Canadian film "Ville-Marie" starring Bellucci. The film premiered in October at the Festa del Cinema in Rome. "Ville-Marie" is the second feature-length film by Guy Édoin, the director of award-winning short films and author of Marécages, screened for Critics’ Week at the Venice International Film Festival. In his new film, the Canadian director tells the story of four problematic characters whose lives cross paths at Ville-Marie, on a dark night in Montréal. Bellucci plays the role of Sophie Bernard, a famous actress reunited with her estranged gay son. The story unfolds after a tragic accident causes the four people to cross paths. In this video, Bellucci talks about her role and why the director chose her.

Actor Roberto Ciufoli - Four Decades of Comedy

 With Roberto Ciufoli at the 2015 Festa del Cinema in Rome Born in Rome in 1960, Roberto Ciufoli has earned a reputation as a diverse comedy actor that goes from big screen to small screen to stage. He rose to fame in the late 80’s as a member of the 20-year-long comedy quartet, La Premiata Ditta. The group was made up of two actors and two actresses- Roberto Ciufoli, Pino Insegno, Tiziana Foschi e Francesca Draghetti. La Premiata Ditta became a household name while regularly appearing on a number of television shows including RAI’s "Pronto, chi gioca?" and "Pronto, è la Rai?." Through the 90’s, the group kept up their pace and even made a film titled, "L'assassino è quello con le scarpe gialle." Then in 2000, they struck gold with the sitcom, "Finché c'è ditta c'è speranza." La Premiata Ditta parted ways in 2006 but reunited on stage for a theater production called, "Abbiamo fatto 30...Facciamo 31." When not a

Digital Lighthouse: Basilicata's Den of Technology

L to R: the gang from Digital Lighthouse- Sergio Ragone, Luca Curto, Davide Colangelo While at the Festa del Cinema in Rome this year, I met up with my social media friend and journalist Sergio Ragone. I consider him a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to creativity. He’s an accomplished writer, photographer and film producer, wildly passionate about his work and his Italian region of Basilicata. He introduced me to two of his cinema colleagues Luca Curto and Davide Colangelo. They told me about their work at Potenza’s Digital Lighthouse Studios. After doing some research, I have come to the conclusion that this must be Italy’s best-kept cinema secret.    A production and post-production house, the studios at Digital Lighthouse are at the forefront of technology with digital cinema effects, gaming design, editing, cameras, motion graphics, audio mixing, color correction and just about anything you may need to assist in video or film production. The structure in Potenza houses a

Interview: Daniele Bracuto, President of the Cineforum Pier Paolo Pasolini - on Pasolini in Basilicata

“No other filmmaker from the ‘60s continues to seem as strikingly contemporary as Pier Paolo Pasolini. His insistence on a cinema of poetry, his candid analysis of the politics of sex, and his search for the spiritual in the everyday make him not only a forerunner of contemporary debates, but also an active participant in those debates.” - Richard Peña, formerly of the Film Society of Lincoln Center   It’s been four decades since we lost the ingenuity of Pier Paolo Pasolini . A writer, a filmmaker, an artist, an intellectual, Pasolini embraced life and lived it to the fullest.   What I appreciate the most about Pasolini’s work is how open it is to interpretation. The evolution of my personal understanding of his work has been underway since 2007 when for the first time ever, I saw a Pasolini film on the big screen. Valerio Mastandrea was in New York City to perform with the production, Accattone in Jazz as part of New York City’s tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini. "The proje

Director Antonio Andrisani Takes on Petroleum, Basilicata and the Biblical Epic in his New Film “Il Vangelo secondo Mattei”

The people of Basilicata, Lucani, possess many admirable qualities like strength, integrity, and creativity. However, the quality I admire most is their sense of humor. For years, their region has been the subject of unfounded criticism. In one recent article, a Rome-based foreign journalist described the region as “dying mountain towns.” Since Matera was named the 2019 European Capital of Culture just over a year ago, travel agencies worldwide have designed tours, bringing thousands upon thousands to see the Sassi of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the years, Hollywood and Cinecittà have transformed this so-called dying region into movie sets for films like "The Passion of the Christ," "Ben Hur," and Edoardo Leo’s award-winning "Noi e La Giulia."   Matera The Lucani have thick skin and usually laugh off empty criticism. However, they have been facing a serious issue for the past couple of years.  A 2014 report released by th

Director Toni D'Angelo's Nostalgic Reflection - "Filmstudio, mon Amour"

 Toni D'Angelo and his wife (center) with members of the cast and crew of Filmstudio, mon Amour In his latest film, which premiered at this year's Festa del Cinema in Rome , filmmaker Toni D'Angelo documents the history of Rome's legendary movie theater, Filmstudio. Filmstudio, mon Amour reconstructs nearly half a century of the first Italian film club- from 1967 to today. D'Angelo explores not only the evolution of this iconic Roman landmark with all the film movements that took place within its walls, he also explores the evolution of cinema itself and the way in which we see it today. "The post-theatrical era has begun, meaning the era after cinematography," declares Bernardo Bertolucci. The documentary is filled with the perspectives of interesting people like Bertolucci, Nanni Moretti, Vittorio Taviani, Carlo Verdone and Wim Wenders- who were all there when its doors opened in 1967 and lived through its many phases.  Armando Leone and C

Marco Giallini and Maya Sansa in "Storie Sospese"

Here's a film that I am really hoping makes its way to American shores in 2016. Storie sospese is the story of Thomas (Marco Giallini) who works with a group of climbers in a high mountain yard to secure the impervious side of a mountain. When an unexpected problem causes the closure of the yard, the workers suddenly find themselves unemployed.  Thomas faces grave financial problems. A former colleague who now runs a small business comes to the rescue and offers him a job in a small town in Abruzzo. There, he meets Giovanna ( Maya Sansa ) a feisty teacher and a young geologist, who joins him in his work. He finds himself having to deal with a social life that he was no longer used to, and strange dynamics with his new job. I'm looking forward to seeing two of my favorite actors working together.. also looking forward to seeing Marco Giallini in a dramatic role. It seems that he's so good at comedy, he sometimes get pigeon-holed in that same role.. but he clearly has

Feature: Actress Paola Lavini from "Anime Nere" and the new comedy "All Roads Lead to Rome"

Born in Calabria but raised in the northern region of Emilia Romagna, Paola Lavini is making her mark in Italian cinema and television as a diverse actress whose passion is telling real stories through sincere, carefully-developed characters.   Lavini is no stranger to American audiences. If you followed the HBO series Rome , you saw her in the very first episode in 2005 portraying a snobby, ill-mannered trophy wife named Phyllis. When I interviewed Lavini back in October, she told me about one scene in particular in which her character was feasting on the Roman delicacy, porchetta. Since Phyllis was rich, spoiled and uncouth, she ferociously ate the porchetta, throwing any class right out the window. The American producers weren’t expecting this beautiful, petite woman to eat with such gusto and authority. They were thoroughly impressed and later remarked on how brilliant she was while doing that scene.   More recently, Americans watched Lavini on the big screen in Francesco M