Spotlights on New Italian Cinema 2012

November means Italian cinema in SF

The month of November has just started, and it is sure to be one of the most interesting ever for San Franciscans who love Italian film.

Following a three-day “Cinema by the Bay” event, the “New Italian Cinema 2012” film festival – running November 11-18 – will showcase twelve movies, among which seven films that have been selected for competition this year, in addition to a series of films as tribute to internationally recognized actress Valeria Golino.

Four are the Italian films that will be screened at the “San Francisco Documentary Festival,” with over 50 films from around the world, concluding the series of events dedicated to cinematography.

The San Francisco Film Society’s festival “Cinema by the Bay” celebrates the passion, innovation and diversity of Bay Area film-making, with new works produced in or about the San Francisco Bay Area. The opening will feature Jason Wolos’ delectable debut Trattoria. Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, Trattoria serves up familial drama and foodie delights. This movie was partly shot in San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood of North Beach.

Not to be missed is the special Opening night with Valeria Golino, to which N.I.C.E. has decided to pay a tribute for her “contribution in promoting and valuing our film industry throughout the world.”

The great Italian actress—and recently, director—will be present in person on Sunday, November 11th at “An Evening with Valeria Golino,” when she will introduce a brief selection from her upcoming feature-length directorial debut Vi perdono (I Forgive You), an adaptation of Angela Del Fabbro’s novel about a young woman who helps people suffering from terminal illness. It stars Valeria and Riccardo Scamarcio.

During the Opening of New Italian Cinema 2012, Golino will also show the marvelous short Armandino e il Madre (Armandino and the Madre), the story of a Romany boy who delivers messages of love from his smitten older brother to Sara, a French woman working in the Madre, Naples’ museum of contemporary art. This work marks the actress’s debut behind the camera for a short film (2010).

Following a brief Q&A with Valeria, there will be the feature presentation of the film Kryptonite! by Italian Director Ivan Cotroneo. This is a funny and moving story about growing up and about the power of imagination, where all characters are poised between comedy and tragedy, revolving around a complicated but extraordinarily vital family, capable of dreaming despite knowing they don’t owe anything, in a society where the clash between the rich and the poor doesn’t seem the be so traumatic.

Other movies in program starring Golino as actress are:

– Texas by Fausto Paravidino (Italy, 2005) Piedmont and Texas are an ocean apart; in terms of culture. However, they might as well be neighbors. This is the tale of a generation of Italians trapped in the countryside. Theirs is a story of love, passion, laughter, and infidelity, which builds and builds to an explosive finale.

– Respiro by Emanuele Crialese (Italy/France 2002). With all the beauty and style of a classic painting, Crialese’s Respiro invites the audience into the stunning landscape of a tranquil island life and the lives of its inhabitants, where a free-spirited woman is accused of madness by townspeople fed up with her antics.

– Storia d’Amore (A Tale of love) by Francesco Maselli (Italy, 1986). It entered the 43rd Venice International Film Festival, in which it won the Grand Special Jury Prize and the Volpi Cup for best actress (Valeria Golino).

Worth mentioning amongst the interesting films to highlight for artistic quality and critical success are:

– I primi della lista (The First on the List) by Roan Johnson (Italy/France, 2011). It is a true and emblematic story set in the so-called period of the “Strategy of Tension” in the Italian 70’s that, with hindsight, seems almost incredible. It is a small film gem, presented as special event at the last Rome Film Festival, which succeeds in involving the viewer, with melancholic light and without betraying history, in the daring political escape of two high school students, leading to comic and surreal results.

– Hit the Road, Nonna by Duccio Chiarini (Italy, 2011). This docu-fiction film builds an intriguing and enjoyable portrait of the director’s grandmother. It was presented to the “Venice Days” at the Venice Film Festival in 2011 and in competition at the Festival dei Popoli, winning the Audience Award for Best Picture.

– Ciliegine (The Cherry on the Cake) by Laura Morante (France, 2012). Morant is a well-established actress and first-time director for this feature film, a romantic, delightful, very funny, and well-written comedy reminiscent of Woody Allen and of the Peanuts’ innocent universe.

Laura Morante’s movie closes the Festival, followed by a Closing Night Party, with a limited number of tickets available for an exclusive reception at Osha Thai Restaurant & Lounge, in celebration of the City of Florence Awards.

Finally the 11th edition of the “San Francisco Documentary Festival” on November 8 -21, offering its audience two weeks of some of the hottest non-fiction films on the current circuit, will screen the following Italian films:

The Challenge of Venice by Michele Barca and Nicola Pittarello; One Year’s Remainder by Michele di Salle and Luca Papaleo; Vinylmania – When Life Runs at 33Revolutions per Minute by Paolo Campana. Film will be screened at the Roxie Theater, Shattuck Cinema (Berkeley) and Terra Gallery.

Presenting organization New Italian Cinema Events (N.I.C.E.) is celebrating 16 years of festival in the City. They have collaborated with supporting sponsors, The Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, The Italian Cultural Institute, The Italian Ministry of Cultural Activities – Cinema Department, The City of Florence, Tuscany Region and Toscana Film Commission, in addition to the executive cooperation of San Francisco Film Society.

For complete information about the program and screenings visit http://sffs.org/Exhibition/SF-Film-Society-Cinema/New-Italian-Cinema