Roma Film Festival Honors Composer Ennio Morricone

Update 29 February 2016
Since Ennio Morricone won the Oscar last night for Best Original Score, there's been a lot of talk about his past work. Here is a link on Amazon to check out some of his materpieces..

In addition to Morricone's Oscar nomination, Paolo Sorrentino's "Youth" is also on the ballot tonight for Best Original Song by David Lang.. "Simple Song #3"
Check it out here.

And Ennio Morricone takes home the Oscar.... Check out some of his work..
Ennio Morricone on Amazon

Update 10 January 2016
Ennio Morricone wins Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight".

The 20th edition of the Roma Film Festival will pay tribute to the prolific career of renowned composer Ennio Morricone.

Born in Rome in 1928, Morricone has written the music for hundreds of films and television shows. His most recognizable titles include "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Exorcist II", the comedy trilogy "La Cage aux Folles", "The Mission", "Once Upon a Time in America", "The Untouchables", "Bugsy", "Cinema Paradiso", "Hamlet" and most recently, Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight".

Morricone began his career in music rearranging previously composed work for RCA. His career took off when he began composing the music for films in the 1960's and then well into the 70's. It was during those years that he collaborated with directors like Sergio Leone, Duccio Tessari, Sergio Sollima and Sergio Corbucci on the epic Spaghetti Westerns. (Read Quentin Tarantin's list of his favorite Spaghetti Westerns) During those busy years, he also collaborated with several other Italian directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Dario Argento, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Elio Petri. After the 70's, Morricone reached beyond the borders of Italy for Hollywood and began composing for some of the biggest names in the film industry such as Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Mike Nichols and Oliver Stone. My favorite Morricone film composition is his 1988 collaboration with Giuseppe Tornatore on "Cinema Paradiso". The melody is unique and beautiful beyond words and still gives me the chills. I'll never forget the ending scene when Toto takes the film reel made by his childhood mentor back to Rome and watches those beautiful clips. It remains my favorite scene in the history of cinema.

Adriano Pintaldi and Ennio Morricone

My compliments to Adriano Pintaldi and everyone at Cineteca Nazionale and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia for choosing such a worthy filmmaker to honor. I only wish that I was in Rome to attend this festival.

The Roma Film Festival will take place from 15-20 December at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia film school across from the Cinecittà Studios on Via Tuscolana. Admission is free of charge. If you are taking the Metro, take the A line in the direction of Anagnina and exit at Cinecittà.

Program

15 December
5:00pm - "I Basilischi" by Lina Wertmüller (1963)

7:00pm - "Per un pugno di dollari" by Sergio Leone (1964)

9:00pm - "La battaglia di Algeri" by Gillo Pontecorvo (1966)

16 December

5:00pm - "Diabolik" by Mario Bava (1968)

7:00pm - Q&A with Ennio Morricone moderated by Adriano Pintaldi with his documentary "Il fascino discreto di un genio" on the life and distinguished career of the maestro to follow

9:00pm - "L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo" by Dario Argento (1970)

17 December

4:30pm - "Sacco e Vanzetti by Giuliano Montaldo (1971)
6:45pm - "La Luna" by Bernardo Bertolucci (1979)

9:15pm - "Un sacco bello" by Carlo Verdone (1980)

18 December

5:00pm - "C'era una volta in America" by Sergio Leone (1984)

9:00pm - "Mission" by Roland Joffe (1986)

19 December

5:00pm - "The Untouchables" by Brian De Palma (1987)

7:00pm - "Legami!" by Pedro Almodovar (1990)

9:00pm - "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" by Giuseppe Tornatore (1988)

20 December

5:00pm - "Dimenticare Palermo" by Francesco Rosi (1990)

7:00pm - "Wolf" by Mike Nichols (1994)

9:15pm - "Sostiene Pereira" by Roberto Faenza (1995)

Comments

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Gianni Amelio: An Iconic Filmmaker Inspired by Humble Beginnings

The films of this year’s edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, the annual film series hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York, reflect a country in crisis. Italians are facing unprecedented economic challenges right now with the loss of jobs and a political infrastructure lacking the stability needed to get the country back on track. Each director featured in the Open Roads festival communicates that crisis in a uniquely different way; some with comedy, some with anger and resentment, and others with humble characters who will do just about anything to put food on the table. This brings me to veteran director, Gianni Amelio, and what a class act. I had the pleasure of talking with Amelio while he was in New York promoting two films included in this year’s edition of Open Roads- a documentary titled, "Happy to be Different," which explores gay life in Italy after the fall of fascism through the early '80s and "L’intrepido," the story of ...

A Conversation with Actor- Luca Calvani from Warner Bros. Upcoming Release "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

The cast and filmmakers of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in Rome A few years ago, I interviewed actor, Luca Calvani on the occasion of his U.S. release, When in Rome . Today, we are revisiting our conversation as he is promoting his much anticipated spy thriller, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the all-star cast includes Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, and Hugh Grant. Based on the television series by Sam Rolfe, the story is set in the 1960's and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin as they participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons. The U.S. release date is set for August 14, but the cast recently did some press for the film in the Eternal City, where much of it was shot. Luca Calvani Born in Tuscany, Calvani has traveled the world following his career. He began working as a model in the 1990's...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog