Italian Cinema Today

Nestled in the Dolomite mountains of southern Italy's rich, historic region of Basilicata, Castelmezzano radiates the same southern beauty as its  own  Alessandra Romano Baudelaire, a stunning, talented filmmaker who left for Los Angeles to work as an actress.  Although the move took courage and sacrifice, Romano Baudelaire has found her share of success in both leading and supporting roles.  After having recently visited her  picturesque hometown and meeting members of her beautiful family, I can understand how the sincere passion for her work and the desire to make the world a better place through her art ignited her need to give it all she had and chase after her dream.  Romano Baudelaire and I have been connected for some time on social media. In light of wanting to know more about the young people of her region- why some stay and others leave- I asked her about her work, her love of acting and her dreams for the ...

  Carla Bruni and Owen Wilson in a scene from Midnight in Paris Tree-lined cobblestone streets, golden-baked baguettes, 13th century gothic architecture, outdoor cafes, the Pyramid of the Louvre, the grand Arch di Triumph... These are just a few of the images that open Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris . Fast forward a bit and there she is.. Carla Bruni and she is fabulous. You may know Bruni from her headlines as the First Lady of France and the sister of Italy's beloved actress/director Valeria Bruni Tedeschi , but Bruni is a talented artist in her own right, and that talent goes back decades.    Born Carla Gilberta Bruni Tedeschi in Torino, she is heiress to the giant Italian tire manufacturing company CEAT, which was founded in the 1920's by her grandfather Virginio Bruni Tedeschi. In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, Bruni said that her biological father is Italian-born Brazilian grocery magnate Maurizio Remmert. He met Bruni's mother, Marisa ...

Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdelene in "The Passion of the Christ" also filmed in Matera The 2019 European Capital of Culture for 2019 will again serve as the set for a Hollywood biblical epic. Shooting is scheduled to begin in November for the story of Mary Magdalene. Filming will take place in the ancient Sassi district of Matera and will last for 6-8 weeks. The project is still untitled, but has been described as a "biopic" about the story of Mary Magdalene, presenting "a human and authentic portrait of the most enigmatic figures in history." The American production director Garth Davis will direct Rooney Mara in the role of Mary Magdalene. Joaquin Phoenix will play the part of Jesus. If you live in the region, a casting call has been announced for male and female children, aged between eight and 13 years with a dark complexion and Mediterranean features. They also welcome children of African and Central American descent. They ask that children mus...

The 11th edition of the Festa del Cinema of Rome will be held 13-23 October 2016.  

After watching Italian films, the two things I love doing are traveling around Italy and indulging in the country's amazing regional food. Celebrity chef and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis has found a way to showcase all three in her new series "Giada in Italy". The show airs every Sunday on the Food Network at 12:00 eastern/11:00 central and features the gorgeous chef cooking her way through Italy. Giada is the granddaughter of Silvana Mangano and Dino De Laurentiis, a power couple of the Golden Age of Italian cinema. Giada carries on her grandmother's looks and grace as well as Dino's passion for food. Giada's mother Veronica De Laurentiis is an actress and advocate for women. She recently started her own show, "Dillo a Veronica" in which she profiles ordinary women who have overcome the struggles of life. To read the history of the three generations of De Laurentiis women, check out an article that I posted last year about the  legac...