Celebrating 35 years from its first edition, Mill Valley Film Festival is showcasing once again the best of international and world cinema, including four of the most interesting Italian contemporary movies. Presnted by the California Film Institute in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, the 35th edition of the Festival is an event not to be missed for those who love independent cinema from all around the world.

As a matter of fact MVFF brings together a community of filmmakers and film lovers in Mill Valley, San Rafael and beyond to experience amazing new films in the beautiful environment of San Francisco’s Bay Area. With its reputation as a filmmakers’ festival, this prestigious noncompetitive event shows international features, documentaries, shorts and children’s films—something for every film lover. The Mill Valley Film Festival 35 opens October 4 with the US premiere of the films Silver Linings Playbook by David O. Russell and On the Road directed by Walter Salles and runs for ten days.

Organizers announced in San Francisco that Dustin Hoffman, Ben Affleck, and Billy Bob Thornton will all be in attendance. Acting legend Hoffman will appear at the Smith Rafael Film Center for a special tribute honoring his accomplished career.

Mill Valley Film Festival opened October 4th 2012 

For filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals alike, the Mill Valley Film Festival is the perfect environment. Founded in 1978 by California Film Institute Director Mark Fishkin, the Festival is well known for the quality of its programming.

Each year, the 11-day Festival sells over 40,000 tickets and welcomes more than 200 filmmakers from around the world. Festival sections include: World Cinema; US Cinema; Valley of the Docs; Children’s FilmFest; 5@5 Short Films, a daily shorts program; and Active Cinema, our activist films initiative. Gala celebrations, tributes to actors and filmmakers, workshops, panels and seminars, as well as opportunities to mingle with filmmakers in the spectacular setting of the San Francisco Bay Area are just a few of the reasons Screen International named Mill Valley one of its top 10 US film festivals.

The Italian films on the screen will be:

  • Caesar must die (Cesare deve morire), 2012, by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani

An Italian drama film directed by Taviani brothers. The film follows convicts in their rehearsals ahead of a prison performance of Julius Caesar, with Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar as inspiration. The film competed at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear. The film has also been selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards.

  • Italy: love it or leave it, 2011, by Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi

The stand-out Italian documentary film of the Festival. After their award winning documentary, ‘Suddenly, Last Winter’, Luca and Gustav are back. This time they have to decide: should they stay in Italy, or leave it, like so many of their friends have done already. Looking at some defining Italian icons, they go on a emotional trip on a old Fiat 500 through Italy, to look behind the cliches and to discover, what’s left of the famous Italian way of life, confronting a glorious pas, a shaky present and an uncertain future. The documentary was Best Feature and Audience Award–winner at the Milano Film Festival.

  • The last man on Earth (L’ultimo terrestre), 2011, by Gian Alfonso Pacinotti

Presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco, The Last Man on Earth is a 2011 Italian science fiction drama. Its original Italian title is L’ultimo terrestre, which means “The last earthling”. The story follows a man with relational problems while aliens visit Earth. The film was set to premiere in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. Fandango produced the film in collaboration with Rai Cinema and the Toscana Film Commission. The production involved a budget of 2.3 million euro. Filming took place in Tuscany during five weeks. What would you do if aliens were about to land on Earth? Comic artist–turned-filmmaker Gian Alfonso Pacinotti, better known as Gipi, takes inspiration from the Italian graphic novel Nessuno Mi Farà del Male (“Nobody Will Hurt Me”) to depict an extraterrestrial landing in a desolated Tuscan suburb.

  • Reality, 2012, by Matteo Garrone

Presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco as well, this film follows the high acclaimed Gomorra (2008) by Garrone. The narrative is set in the world of reality television, and follows a Neapolitan fishmonger who participates in Grande Fratello, the Italian version of Big Brother. The film competed in competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix. Main character Luciano enjoys la dolce vita in Naples with a large, loving family and a respectable business (aided by a little repo-scam sideline) that keeps them comfortable even in tough times. A hero to his wife and children, wannabe big fish Luciano nevertheless yearns for recognition outside of his small pond, so what else to do but become a reality TV star?

The 35th Marin Valley Film Festival will take place at the CinéArts@Sequoia and 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley), Century Cinema (Corte Madera) and the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael).  The festival will be held from October 4th to October 14th 2012: for information and tickets visit http://www.mvff.com/.

Showings

Caesars must die

Rafael 1, Mon, 10/8 6:30 pm – Sequoia 2, Wed, 10/10 5:00 pm

Italy: Love it or Leave it

Sequoia 2, Tue 10/9, 6:45 pm – Rafael 3, Fri 10/12 7:15 pm – 142 Throckmorton Theatre Sat 10/13 9:15 pm

Last man on earth

Sequoia 2, Tue, 10/9 9:30 pm – Rafael 3, Thu, 10/11 7:15 pm

Reality

Rafael 1, Sun, 10/7 12:45 pm – Sequoia 2, Mon, 10/8 2:15 pm


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