Top Picks
The Champion (Opening Night)Christian Ferro is a young superstar striker for Roma. Growing up in a rough area is a far cry from the millionaire lifestyle he is now living, which has attracted party-animal friends from home as well as the return of his long-lost father. When Christian’s determination to prove to his friends that he remains rebellious lands him in trouble again, his coach Valerio Fioretti gives him an ultimatum: get back in line and pass the high-school exam, or get out. But Christian’s world of fame and Ferraris clashes with Valerio’s humble circumstances.
Dafne is a witty 35-year-old woman with Down syndrome. Despite being fiercely independent, she still lives with her ageing parents. When the sudden death of her mother shatters the family balance, Dafne’s father Luigi falls into a depressive state, and it is left up to Dafne to construct a new life path. When she proposes that she and Luigi undertake an adventure across the country, this sparks a series of events that give Dafne a new and exhilarating self-confidence and provide the ointment needed for her and Luigi’s wounds to heal.
In a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Taranto, high upon the rooftops framed by the Ilva steel factory, we meet Tonino a.k.a. “Barboncino”. Tonino has just committed a robbery and, in a moment of foolishness, fled from his accomplices, taking the entire loot for himself. He escapes upward, clambering from roof to roof, until he can go no further and must take refuge in an old water tank. Here he finds Renato, a strange and eccentric man who believes he is an American Indian from the Sioux tribe. Trapped with no other choice, Tonino is forced to team up with Renato. A strange and crazy friendship is formed, and Tonino learns to see things from a very different perspective.
Along the roads that stretch through the harsh and beautiful Sardinian landscape, we meet two troubled teens: Anna is on the run from the immigrant trafficker her father used to work for and Basim is an illegal immigrant orphan from the Ivory Coast. Together, they find protection as they journey toward safety: Basim, hoping to reach the North of Europe, and Anna, running from the man who is trying to keep his secret from becoming public. Adventuring across the visually rich countryside they form a powerful bond as they dodge in and out of public view, hiding from danger.
Titta di Girolamo is a lonely and secretive Italian businessman living in a Swiss hotel. As punishment for his huge loss in the stock market, he is marooned in Switzerland. His sentence includes that every week, for the rest of his life, he is required to deliver a suitcase of laundered mafia money to a Swiss bank. Now, approaching nine years in this condition, Titta is losing his grip on the real world, and any semblance of life in it.
☆☆☆☆☆ BBC
Story of an outspoken Peppino Impastato who lives in an ancient Sicilian town, hemmed in by sea and rocks and ruled by Mafia. His father is ambitious to see his son eventually become a “boss”, but Peppino is suspicious of the path he is being forced to take. His rebellion rocks his tainted father and the town’s stifling tradition of silence, setting Peppino down a difficult path.
Michelangelo-Endless is the first ever art film made about the Renaissance creative genius Michelangelo Buonarroti. The film portrays the immortal personality of one of the greatest artists the world has ever seen. Here the worlds of cinema and art meet to paint a portrait of a man who was secretive as well as troubled. Through the immense beauty of his most famous works: the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Pietà and statue of David, among others, Michelangelo emerges as a master of sharp contrasts and strong passions. The film exposes an artist who proved great courage when displaying his beliefs and ideologies.
Elia has no intention of leaving his ghost town of Providence which was struck by an earthquake years earlier. While he spends his days in the company of the memories of his wife and his idyllic past life, the rest of the population has moved downstream into the new community housing. Every so often, someone comes to visit him: the local teacher, his friend Gesualdo, and the mayor. But it is a different and wholly unexpected presence which begins to turn Elia’s solitary life upside-down.
The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends-Alfredo Berlinghieri from a landowning family and Olmo Dalcò-on opposing sides
A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.
☆☆☆☆☆ BBC
☆☆☆☆☆ Eye For Film
Pavarotti (Closing Night)Luciano Pavarotti is one of the most famous tenors in history. His charm, charisma, and impressive ability to hit the high-C earned him a level of renown on par with the biggest pop stars. His death at the age of 70 left an undeniable void in terms of worldwide exposure of classical music which has not since been filled. Through never-before-seen footage, concert performances and intimate interviews, this evocative documentary laments an astonishing singer as well as the robust music industry of his time.