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

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema. I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees. Among my personal favorites is Michele Vannucci's Il più grande sogno simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew t...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Film at Lincoln Center honors Monica Vitti with retrospective featuring restored classics

Photo Courtesy of Archivio Luce-Cinecitt à A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti will be held from June 6 to June 19 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The 14-film series, titled "Monica Vitti: La Modernista," is presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and marks the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti's 35-year career. "We are pleased to partner with Cinecittà to celebrate one of Italy's most revered actresses," said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. "It is a privilege to present decades' worth of films from Monica Vitti's illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works." Monica Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the mid-1950s and quickly became a captivating presence on screen. Her collaboration with director Michelangelo Antonioni produced memorable films in the 196...

Golden Age Masterpiece: Luchino Visconti’s 1957 “White Nights”

Photo Credit: Archivio Luce Cinecittà Luchino Visconti’s 1957 film, “White Nights” (“Le notti bianche”), offers a thoughtful and poignant exploration of themes such as loneliness, desire and emotional vulnerability. Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella of the same name, it transports the tale from 19th-century St. Petersburg to a dreamy mid-20th-century Italian setting. While Visconti remains largely faithful to Dostoevsky’s narrative, his characteristic style infuses the film with emotional depth, striking visuals, and a focus on class and societal constraints. The story follows a young man named Matteo, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who lives a solitary life in a small Italian town. One evening, he encounters a beautiful young woman named Natalia, portrayed by Austrian-Swiss actress Maria Schell, who is also feeling isolated. Although she is initially reluctant, Natalia eventually confides in Matteo about her love for a man who has promised to return and marry her, but he ha...

Documentary Filmmaker Gianni Minà presents "Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel" in Toronto

Gianni Minà and Cristiano de Florentiis Update February 2, 2017 It's recently been announced that documentary filmmaker Gianni Minà will receive an honorary Nastro d'Argento award for career achievement. Read the full story on Ansa Italian news. The World Premiere of “Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel,” directed by Gianni Minà and presented by ICFF and AMBI screened in Toronto in occasion of the TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, was met with standing ovation and appreciation from Canadian critics. ICFF Artistic Director Cristiano de Florentiis awarded Gianni Minà with the ICFF Award of Excellence for addressing themes of historical, economic, social and cultural development with insight, nuance, professionalism and personal commitment. Minà’s documentary explores the recent story of Cuba and its undisputed leader, Fidel Castro, through the lens of last year’s visit of Pope Francis to the Caribbean island. Fidel appears onscreen at age 89, his body marked by hi...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog