Italian Cinema Today

Following the 2019 edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, which will run June 6 -12, the  Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Istituto Luce Cinecittà will present a retrospective dedicated to the work of director Ermanno Olmi. The lineup will include films from his career that spanned more than six decades.  "Updating the stylistic hallmarks of Italian neorealism to craft fiction films full of light and dignity, Olmi time and again captured the experience of work and family and expressed the churn of history with humor and grace. Known for his commitment to working with nonprofessional actors and to capturing the specific textures of the locations in which he filmed, Olmi, who started out as a self-taught documentarian, drew inspiration from his Catholic faith and from the social and cultural preoccupations of his native Lombardy region—personified by peasants in rural farming communities or by white-collar workers in the provincial capital of Milan. But Olmi, who ...

If you plan on being in New York for the next edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, which will be held this year May 31 – June 6, you may want to book the hotel for an extra week. Beginning June 8, the Film Society of Lincoln Center along with Istituto Luce Cinecittà will present a complete retrospective of Luchino Visconti’s feature films, including many restorations. Stay tuned for the complete lineup of films in both series! Open Roads: New Italian Cinema May 31 – June 6 Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. Co-presented by FSLC and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, this year’s 18th edition again strikes a balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, commercial and independent fare, outrageous comedies, gripping dramas, and captivating documentaries, with in-person appearances by many of the filmmakers. Visconti June 8-21 Italian n...

Peña (right) at the 2008 edition with Jasmine Trinca and Silvio Soldini The 17th edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is underway. Opening weekend is attracting crowds of New Yorkers curious to see the stories that contemporary Italian filmmakers are telling.  Open Roads hit the ground running back in 2001. Since then there has always been a loyal following of moviegoers packing Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater ready to immerse themselves in the world of Italian cinema and ask the filmmakers about their visions and driving forces which result in such dramatic, compelling films. I believe the reason behind the festival’s success is its organizers. One will have to search far and wide before finding people with more passion for film and culture.  It was nice to see one of the original organizers  Richard Peña, a former program director for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, during the first couple days of this year's editio...