Italian Film Festival Comes to St Andrews
PRESS RELEASE: Italian Film Festival comes to St Andrews
Fans of cinema and fans of Italy can unite between 1 and 3 May 2009 at the first ever St Andrews Italian Film Festival.
The Festival, which has received local backing from the Centre for Film Studies at the University of St Andrews and from Fife Council, will involve the screening of five films over the course of three days.
The festival opens with Her Whole Life Ahead, a 2008 comedy by Paolo Virzì that deals with the trials and tribulations of young twenty somethings entering the world of corporate work for the first time.
Her Whole Life Ahead is followed by The Girl by the Lake, a thriller from first-time director Andrea Molaioli. The film won ten Davide di Donatello awards (Italian ‘Oscars'), including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Toni Servillo, who starred in the recent Italian hits Gomorrah, Il Divo, and Consequences of Love.
Flying Lessons, from female director Francesca Archibugi, explores the lives of two Italian teenagers who go in search of their roots after failing their school exams.
Their journey of self-discovery - one of the boys is an adopted Indian seeking his real parents; the other comes to understand his Jewish roots - takes in Italy, India and Scotland, with Scottish actor Douglas Henshall (Primeval, The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle) taking a prominent role in the film.
In honour of Italy's most famous actress, Alida Valli, who has, after Greta Garbo, been described as the most beautiful leading lady in film history, there will also be a screening of Carol Reed's Oscar-winning classic, The Third Man.
Written by Graham Greene, The Third Man stars Orson Welles as the unforgettable Harry Lime, and Joseph Cotten, in this thriller set in post-war Vienna.
The festival will close with a screening of A Perfect Day, the latest film by renowned Italian-Turkish director Ferzan Özpetek. Taking place over the course of 24 hours, and based on Melania Mazzucco's popular novel, A Perfect Day is a serious but hopeful look at domestic violence in contemporary Rome.
Screenings of the films will be accompanied by introductions and talks from specialists in Italian cinema and culture, including a Q&A session (to be confirmed) with Alida Valli's grandson, who is the leading archivist and historian of the star of The Third Man, Senso, Suspiria, and Alfred Hithcock's Paradine Case.
The screenings will all take place at the New Picture House Cinema on North Street, St Andrews, and tickets can be reserved by logging on to http://www.nphcinema.co.uk/, or by calling (01334) 473509.
Furthermore, on Saturday 2 May at 4pm, the Italian Society of the University of St Andrews will hold an Italian Garden Party, featuring food and wine from the generous sponsors at Jannetta's, the Little Italian Shop and Luvians. The venue for this event is to be confirmed, but to reserve a place, email italia@st-andrews.ac.uk.
The Italian Film Festival is part of a nationwide, touring festival that takes in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Dublin, Manchester, Dundee, Inverness, and, for the first time, St Andrews.
The nationwide event is organised by the Italian Film Festival UK, in conjunction with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Edinburgh, and with support from Scottish Screen and the National Lottery. As mentioned, the first ever St Andrews leg of the event is additionally supported by the University's Centre for Film Studies and by Fife Council.
The festival, to which everyone is welcome, should provide a fantastic opportunity for cinephiles and Italian fans to get together for a weekend in May. Do come along - both to this and to the forthcoming French Film Festival, due to be held in December. Ciao!
Programme of films
Friday 1 May 6pm Her Whole Life Ahead (Paolo Virzì, Italy, 2008) (15) (117 mins) Comedy about entering the corporate world.
Saturday 2 May 2pm The Girl by the Lake (Andrea Molaioli, Italy, 2007) (15) (95 mins) Multiple award-winning thriller.
Saturday 2 May 6pm Flying Lessons (Francesca Archibugi, Italy/France/India, 2007) (15) (100 mins) Drama set across Italy, India and Scotland.
Sunday 3 May 2pm The Third Man (Carol Reed, UK, 1949) (12A) (104 mins) Oscar-winning classic starring Italian leading lady, Alida Valli.
Sunday 3 May 6pm A Perfect Day (Ferzan Özpetek, Italy, 2008) (15) (101 mins) Drama from one of Europe's leading directors about domestic violence in contemporary Rome.
Relevant websites/contact details:
New Picture House Cinema, St Andrews
Website: http://www.nphcinema.co.uk/
Italian Film Festival UK
Website: http://www.italianfilmfestival.org.uk/
Centre for Film Studies, University of St Andrews
Website: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/filmstudies/
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