All about the 18th edition of the Rome Film Fest
The 18th edition of Festa del Cinema, Rome’s annual famed film festival, kicks off on October 18 until October 29. The main event takes place at Auditorium Parco della Musica, adorned for the occasion with an infinite red carpet, but the Festa also spreads to other evocative locations in the capital, like MAXXI and Casa del Cinema.
Some previews of the 2023 edition of the Rome Film Festival
Anna Magnani is the protagonist of the official image of the eighteenth edition of the Rome Film Festival. The photo is a tribute to one of the greatest and most beloved actresses of Italian and international cinema, who passed away fifty years ago.
Isabella Rossellini and Shigeru Umebayashi will receive the Career Achievement Award and will meet the festival audience. Isabella Rossellini is a versatile and unconventional artist, the daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini: the festival will celebrate her creative talent through a public meeting and a retrospective of works that have featured her as a filmmaker, screenwriter, and actress of extraordinary value. Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi will be the star of a public meeting; festivalgoers will also have the opportunity to rediscover some cult films such as ‘In the Mood for Love.'”
INSPIRATION
Best Events in Rome this autumn
Locations, programme and awards
The festival will engage the entire city of Rome – as it’s taking place in various locations. As usual, the centrepiece of the event be the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, but also Casa del Cinema, MAXXI, cinema Giulio Cesare, Teatro Palladium, cinema Atlantic, Ferrero cinema Adriano, Nuovo Cinema Aquila, and even the Latina Penitentiary and Casal del Marmo Juvenile Detention Center will be involved.
The official selection of the Rome Film Festival 2023 consists of the following sections:
- Progressive Cinema – Visioni per il Mondo di Domani (Visions for the World of Tomorrow)
The international competition called It’s judged by experts in cinema, culture, and the arts, who give awards like Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Actor and more. There are also special awards for different film categories and for comedy and debut films. The audience can vote for their favorite film too, through the FS Audience Award and finally, this year, the SIAE Cinema Award for the best screenplay by someone under 35 has been introduced to support young filmmakers. - Freestyle
The non-competitive section which showcases works in various formats, including series, music videos, films, and video art. - Grand Public
The non-competitive section which features films intended for broad and varied audiences. Among the 21 films intended for broad audiences this year, make sure not to miss Ozpetek’s new film “Nuovo Olimpo”. - Special Screenings
- Best of 2023, the non-competitive section which hosts some of the best titles of the season from other international festivals.
- History of Cinema, the non-competitive section which presents restored masterpieces, paying tribute to Italian and international cinema icons.
In the programme there are also two sections dedicated to encounters with the audience: Paso Doble, where two authors engage in a dialogue, and Absolute Beginners, where an established author shares their debut story in cinema.
Once again, running parallel to the main event is Alice nella Città, the youth section of the festival, which spotlights female narratives this year, with the screening of the debut film “To Leslie” starring Andrea Riseborough, and various events dedicated to showcasing female excellence. Moreover, there are exclusive film previews, including the highly anticipated Studio Ghibli production “Il ragazzo e l’airone” by Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, as well as the first two episodes of the upcoming season of “Mare Fuori”. In addition to all this, Alice nella Città is also part of the celebration of DreamWorks’ 25th anniversary, featuring an exhibition and the premiere of “Trolls 3 – All Together”.
READ THE PROGRAM OF THE 2023 ROME FILM FEST
Opening Film
The film that marks the beginning of this year’s festival, featured in the Progressive Cinema competition, is “C’È ANCORA DOMANI” directed by Paola Cortellesi. Set in post-war Italy, the movie follows Delia, a wife and mother, as she stumbles upon the promise of a brighter future through an enigmatic letter. The story unfolds against the backdrop of 1940s Rome and features Valerio Mastandrea, Emanuela Fanelli, and Giorgio Colangeli in leading roles.
Official Selection
18 are the films competing this year, under the Progressive Cinema – Visioni per il Mondo di Domani section. They are:
UN AMOR
by Isabel Coixet, Spain, 2023, 128’
ASHIL (ACHILLES)
by Farhad Delaram, Iran, Germany, France, 2023, 116’
AVANT QUE LES FLAMMES NE S’ETEIGNENT (AFTER THE FIRE)
by Mehdi Fikri, Francia, 2023, 96’
BLACK BOX
by Asli Özge, Germany, Belgium, 2023, 120’
C’È ANCORA DOMANI
by Paola Cortellesi, Italy, 2023, 118’
COMME UN FILS (LIKE A SON)
by Nicolas Boukhrief, France, 2023, 105’
EN DAG KOMMER ALLT DET HÄR BLI DITT (ONE DAY ALL THIS WILL BE YOURS)
by Andreas Öhman, Sweden, 2023, 105’
LA ERECCION DE TORIBIO BARDELLI (THE ERECTION OF TORIBIO BARDELLI)
by Adrián Saba, Perù, Brasil, 2023, 82’
FREMONT
by Babak Jalali, USA, 2023, 88’
HOLIDAY
by Edoardo Gabbriellini, Italy, 2023, 102’
HYPNOSEN (THE HYPNOSIS)
by Ernst De Geer, Sweden, Norway, France, 2023, 98’
MI FANNO MALE I CAPELLI
by Roberta Torre, Italy, 2023, 83’
THE MONK AND THE GUN
by Pawo Choyning Dorji, Bhutan, USA, France, Taiwan, 2023, 107’
PEDÁGIO (TOLL)
by Carolina Markowicz, Brasi, Portugal, 2023, 101’
PELURI – KUOLEMA ON ELÄVIEN ONGELMA (LA MORTE È UN PROBLEMA DEI VIVI)
by Teemu Nikki, Finland, Italy, 2023, 97’
UN SILENCE (A SILENCE)
by Joachim Lafosse, Belgium, France, Luxemburg, 2023, 100’
SWEET SUE
by Leo Leigh, UK, 2023, 97’
UROTCITE NA BLAGA (BLAGA’S LESSONS)
by Stephan Komandarev, Bulgaria, Germany, 2023, 114’
…. And this is only one of the many pieces of the puzzle. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the sections in the programme and take your picks… beware, tickets sell fast!
18th Rome Film Festival
From October 18 – October 29 (2023 edition)
Main Venue
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30
Tickets
Entry fee: €6-25
Other Venues
MAXXI
Via Guido Reni 4/A
Casa Del Cinema
Largo Marcello Mastroianni 1
Cinema Atlantic
Via Tuscolana 745
Cinema Giulio Cesare
Viale Giulio Cesare 229
Teatro Palladium
Piazza Bartolomeo Romano 8
Nuovo Cinema Aquila
Via L’Aquila 66/74
Cinema Adriano
Piazza Cavour 22
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