We’re only a month away from BIFF but there’s something to keep us occupied in the meantime. This Wednesday, the Lavazza Italian Film Festival kicks off in Brisbane. It runs for more than 2 weeks and there are more than 20 different films being shown. It’s come at the right time too. There are just 2 new releases in regular release this week.
I’m heading along to the Opening Night celebrations and hopefully the festival will be a great one.
The Palace Centro and Palace Barracks are hosting the festival again this year and you can find out more on the special website at http://www.italianfilmfestival.com.au. Tickets are $18 to most sessions (cheaper for concessions) and there are a few special events with drinks/entertainment included.
I’ve been perusing through the festival guide and to help wet your appetite, here’s a sampling of what’s on offer…
La Nostra Vita
Barracks - October 6, 14 & 23
Elio Germano plays Claudio, a construction worker living on the outskirts of Rome with a wife he adores, two small kids and a third on the way. When a tragedy befalls the family, Claudio leans on his boss to give him his own construction site to supervise. In exchange, Claudio will keep a secret Porcari is covering up. La Nostra Vita screened in competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival where Elio Germano collected the coveted Best Actor award.
The Double Hour
Barracks - October 8 & 16
Sonia, a young woman from Eastern Europe, has recently moved to the northern industrial town of Turin. She wants to find a boyfriend so she signs up for a speed-dating service - facing the blunt and the sleazy - until she meets Guido, an ex-cop turned security guard who has been making the rounds of the singles' scene for a while. Against all odds, the two hit it off and a romance quickly develops. Ksenia Rappoport's magnetic performance and sheer screen presence earned her the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival, and Filippo Timi (who won Best Actor) oozes macho sexuality.
The First Beautiful Thing
Barracks - October 7 & 16
In 1971, at a popular beach establishment near the Tuscan port of Livorno, yummy-mummy Anna is roped into a beauty contest which she easily wins. Her jealous husband, Mario, is enraged by the attention from assorted wolf-whistlers, while 8-year-old son Bruno is horrified by the spectacle of it all. His younger sister Valeria is the only one enjoying the scene. Jump to the present, when Bruno gets an urgent visit from Valeria telling him their mother is sick. Bruno tries to wriggle out of going back to Livorno but finally agrees, the trip triggering bittersweet memories. This is Italy’s entry in the foreign language category of next year’s Academy Awards.
The Man Who Will Come
Barracks - October 13 & 21
Winner of the Best Film Award at the David Di Donotello (Italian Academy) Awards 2010 and Rome's Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award, The Man Who Will Come is a powerful and engrossing drama based on the World War II tragedy known as the Marzabotto Massacre, which confirms director and co-writer Giorgio Diritti as a major filmmaker in contemporary Italian cinema.
Loose Cannons
Barracks - October 8 & 19
Tommaso has a comfortable life in Rome as an aspiring writer and is in a steady relationship with his boyfriend Marco — a life he has kept secret from his family. When he's called back to his hometown of Lecce in Southern Italy to help run the family business, he decides to reveal his homosexuality to his conservative family and hopefully get out of his business obligations in the process. But when his plans are thwarted, Tommaso gets stuck on the path that he was desperately trying to avoid.
The Front Line
Barracks - October 12 & 20
Set during a turbulent period in 1970-80s Italy, Sergio joins the radical political group Prima Linea where he meets and falls in love with fellow member, Susanna. Pursuing an uncompromising cause as members of this notorious Italian terrorist organization, second only to the Red Brigades in membership and influence, they have become increasingly alienated from the real world. Their luck finally runs out when Susanna is captured and thrown in jail. Putting his life on the line, Sergio embarks on a radical plan...
Happy Family
Barracks - October 9 & 17
Academy award-winning veteran director Gabriele Salvatores (Mediterraneo) delivers a colourful tongue-in-cheek comedy about a writer holed up in his apartment in Milan one hot summer trying to punch out a story while the characters come to life around him offering their input on the direction they think the story should take.
What More Do I Want?
Barracks - October 10 & 24
Anna is a woman in her early thirties who works as an accountant at a large insurance firm. She lives with her long-time boyfriend Alessio, a nice guy who thinks they should settle down and have a child. Anna, on the other hand, feels like the excitement has gone out of their relationship and when she meets Domenico in her office, it isn't long before their clandestine chemistry turns into a fully fledged affair even though Domenico confesses to having a wife and two kids at home. The illicit lovers meet once a week for a few hours in a cheap motel, but soon it's not enough for Anna, who becomes increasingly needy.