“Sydney Film Festival is very excited to present six outstanding films from incredible contemporary Italian storytellers,” festival director Nashen Moodley said.
Running from June 6 to 17, the festival’s 65th edition will bring the world’s best new films to Sydney for 12 days and nights of inspiring and entertaining premieres, talks and parties.
The celebration of Italian films is in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MIBACT), Associazione Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche Audiovisive Multimediali (ANICA), and the Italian Cultural Institute (IIC) in Sydney.
The program is also promoted by Controluce with the support of MIBACT.
“The Focus On Italy program represents a showcase of some of the most interesting and acclaimed Italian films,” Controluce director Antonio Falduto said.
“We hope these opportunities will be the first step towards many successful and beautiful films!”
Top Italian films selected to screen include: Laura Bispuri’s ‘Daughter of Mine’, also competing in the festival’s official competition; ‘A Ciambra’, executive produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese; winner of the Horizons Award for Best Film at Venice, ‘Nico, 1988’, chronicling the final years of The Velvet Underground’s iconic singer Nico; winner of Best Italian Film at Venice, ‘Beautiful Things’; charming buddy comedy ‘Friends By Chance’; and ‘The Ark of Disperata’, a wryly funny examination of post-GFC austerity in Italy from award-winning director Edoardo Winspeare.
Four Italian filmmakers will attend as festival guests to present the screening of their films.
They are award-winning director Laura Bispuri (‘Daughter of Mine’), screenwriter Alessandro Valenti (‘The Ark of Disperata’), and multi-hyphenate creative Giorgio Ferrero and producer-cinematographer Federico Biasin (‘Beautiful Things’).
IIC Sydney director Lillo Guarneri said the organisation is proud to support this initiative and hopes to facilitate opportunities between Italian and Australian directors and producers for future collaboration.
“The IIC in Sydney considers the promotion of cinema, and related co-productions and distribution industry, essential among its activities,” he added.
For more information and tickets, visit the Sydney Film Festival’s website.
