It's no secret that I'm a huge film buff. I'm especially fond of movies that have a great story to tell. Something heartfelt, emotional, purposeful, and that teaches me something at the end of the film. Whether it's a message or reminder about a moral.Add beautiful scenery, and it goes without saying, great acting, and I am bound to be lost in the screen for the duration of the film and transported to a different time and place. Films that give me all of the above tend to be independent or foreign. Especially Italian.
Sophia Loren at Cinema Italian Style
Photo Courtesy of CIS
I'm not sure when I saw my first Italian film, but I do remember being drawn to Sophia Loren's deep eyes and intense dialog. Even if in Italian and trying to keep-up with the subtitles, I was hooked.
In the words of Oscar-winning Italian Director Giuseppe Tornatore of Cinema Paradiso fame, "Italian films include love" as part of their storytelling formula; and who doesn't love, love?Watching Cinema Paradiso sometime after graduating high school was just amazing and further connected me with the Italian-way of telling a story. Other noteworthy films that have touched my heart include Il Divo, and of course, who hasn't been in tears after watching Life is Beautiful. Little did I know, until now, that the Italian Ministry of Culture-Film Department, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles, are bringing us the 10th Annual Cinema Italian Style (CIS), an annual celebration of Italian Films, from November 13-18, 2014 at both the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre.
The 2014 edition of Cinema Italian Style (CIS), the Los Angeles glamorous showcase for Italian contemporary cinema, will be dedicated to the producer Franco Cristaldi and his masterpiece Cinema Paradiso, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its theatrical release.
Guiseppe Tornatore (center), writer and director, known for Cinema Paradiso (1988), Malèna (2000) and The Best Offer (2013). Eros Ramazottie, singer songwriter (left). Photo Courtesy of CIS,
In addition, a rich and talented cast of actors, directors and producers will be in town to introduce the movies and meet with the audience in occasion of the screenings, and the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles will showcase Cinema Paradiso's images, posters, memorabilia, and props, including the film’s original script from November 12th until November 21st.During CIS, the Italian Cultural Institute will be presenting a selection of documentaries and film bios of some of cinema’s most important figures (Franco Cristaldi, Sophia Loren, Quentin Tarantino, etc.), in a special program dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Istituto Luce.
CIS Press Conference.
Photo Credit: Ana Lydia Ochoa-Monaco
The Festival will also be screening Italy's Official Oscar submission,Caeser Must Die, about a director staging Shakespeare'sJulius Caesar in Rome's maximum security Rebibbia prison. Fans of classic Italian cinema will enjoy films featuring two of cinema's most celebrated actresses, Ingrid Bergman and Sophia Loren.
Visit the following link to view the schedule of the documentaries shown at the Italian Cultural Institute, November 12th - 21st: ICI-DOCUMENTARIES and download the full schedule and synopsis of the movies shown at Cinema Italian Style, here: CINEMA ITALIAN STYLE
Learn more about the “25 Years in Cinema Paradiso” at the Italian Cultural Institute, here: ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: AmericanCinematheque, to view press conference photos, click here.
