Italian Cinema Today

Fortunato Verduci made a name for himself in his native Calabria as a musician specializing in traditional folk songs. One day, he received a call to audition for an American production being shot on location in his region. Three years later, he is responsible for helping to create some of the most memorable scenes in television, which thanks to VOD platforms like Netflix and Amazon, represent Calabria on the international stage.  Born in the Calabrian commune of Motta San Giovanni, located on a mountain top overlooking the Ionian sea, Verduci was raised by a family of musicians. “I grew up to the sound of the tarantella and since I was a child. I’ve accompanied my father with the Motta folk group to play and dance around Italy and Europe. The dance facilitated me in acting because I was used to performing in front of the audience.” Verduci didn’t initially have plans to pursue an acting career. A few years ago, word got around that an international film crew was shootin...

Americans know her as Rosa Napolitano from " The Golden Door ," Emanuele Crialese's   heartfelt story of immigration in America at the turn of the 20th century. Italians know her as a diverse contemporary actress always mesmerizing audiences as she wondrously transforms herself into her characters.  Born in Palermo in 1981, Isabella Ragonese studied her craft in her hometown with theater director Michele Perriera. Her studies included interpretations of his work whether it'd be writing, directing or starring in adaptations. Upon graduating, she received her first big break in Crialese's "Nuovomondo" (The Golden Door) and just two years later, headed the all-star cast of Paolo Virzì's  "Tutta la vita davanti" (The Whole Life Ahead). She went on to appear in numerous productions on both the big and small screen. Then in 2014, she teamed up again with her "Tutta la vita davanti" costar Elio Germano for ...

Emanuele Crialese  Emanuele Crialese is one of the most inventive and poetic filmmakers working today. The messages in his films speak to the dreams and desires within the soul, and their breathtaking cinematography reveals the  pride he feels for a land to which he is deeply connected. Born in Rome in 1965, Emanuele Crialese’s Sicilian roots are the driving force to the plots of his movies. Crialese earned his degree at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.  He originally set out to take a short film course at the university but was granted a full scholarship after presenting a sample of his work. Much of Crialese’s career has been dedicated to exploring the plight of the immigrant, and the irony of this lies within the fact that while in New York City attending film school, he lived in a Lower East Side tenement, which was once occupied by immigrants during the immigration wave of the 20th century. One has to wonder if that experience has h...

Lincoln Center in New York City was all a-buzz with Italian cinema this summer as its creators and aficionados gathered together to celebrate the newest contemporary films to come out of Italy.  Opening weekend of the 12th edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema offered a diverse selection of films made by both newcomers and masters. Many of those filmmakers were in attendance and gave insight into the passion and drive behind their work. Among those in attendance was Ferzan Ozpetek , who has been a constant during the last 12 years and has traveled to New York three times to present his work at the festival.  Every time, I look forward to talking with him and participating in his Question & Answer sessions with the audience. I am always intrigued by his humility, unique vision and depth of creativity. He is a true artist in every sense of the word. Many of the films featured in this year's program have an air of independence and stand autonomous in their m...