Italian Cinema Today

Written by Sveva De Marinis During the 6th edition of Filming Italy Los Angeles, production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, who have been married for years, hosted a masterclass and received the Filming Italy Los Angeles achievement award for their outstanding accomplishments.   The two have been working for decades with some of the most distinguished directors in the business. Ferretti began his career in 1964 at the age of 21 as an assistant production designer on the set of “Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew) by Pier Paolo Pasolini and went on to work as a production designer for five more movies of his. He then worked on Federico Fellini’s last five movies, from “Prova d’orchestra” (Orchestra Rehearsal) to “La voce della luna” (Voice of the Moon).    Lo Schiavo started working as a production designer with Ferretti on Liliana Cavani’s 1981 “La pelle” (The Skin). They continued on their shared artistic path with exc...

Video artist and animator Donato Sansone has made the short list for Oscar contention with his latest work, " Journal Anime ." He has joined the ranks of an emerging generation in Italy's southern region of Basilicata that has received international acknowledgement for their work as filmmakers.  Sansone is from a small town called Bella. By coincidence, I recently spent a week in his charming hometown, and I can say that it's what many of us Italian-Americans imagine when we dream of the land of our origins.. quaint and lovely with warm, kind people, delicious culinary products and gifted chefs who know well how to utilize them. I spent an unforgettable week there attending the town's exceptional film festival, which showcased compelling topics and filmmakers from all over Italy. So, it's no surprise the town has produced a talented filmmaker of its own. I asked Sansone about his work and his origins in this beautiful, justly named town of Bella. Our inte...

Toni Servillo in a scene from "La Grande Bellezza" Italy's Oscar entry has made the short list. Paolo Sorrentino's "La Grande Bellezza" (The Great Beauty) which stars the director's top actor, Toni Servillo, was a huge hit in Italy and is gaining momentum for a coveted nomination in the category for Best Foreign Film.   The film's A-list cast which also features Rome natives, Carlo Verdone and Sabrina Ferilli, tells the story of the Roman club underworld. Toni Servillo takes the lead role of Jep Gambardella, an uninspired writer who recounts his days as a young spectator who became seduced and intoxicated with power, finding himself caught in a web of superficiality, disillusionment and corruption. Sorrentino described "La Grande Bellezza" as "a film which probes the contradictions, the beauties, the scenes I have witnessed and the people I’ve met in Rome; a wonderful city, soothing yet at the same time full of hidden dangers....