Cinecitta Holding, a leading state-owned film group from Italy, is bringing a string of Italian movies to Chinese audiences.

 

A total of 13 Italian films made over the past few years will be shown to audiences at three cinemas during the Ninth Shanghai International Film Festival, which runs from June 17 to 25, according to Cinecitta Holding General Manager Alessandro Usai.

 

A delegation of veteran Italian filmmakers will also be attending the film festival and will make themselves available for discussions with fans of Italian movies.

 

From late December to early January 2007, Italiana, an Italian film retrospective featuring about 30 selected Italian masterpieces, which will include seminars on Italian films and culture, will be held in several universities in Beijing and Shanghai, he said.

 

Visitors to the Shanghai International Film Festival can expect to see "newly released Italian films high quality, not very commercial ones," said Carlo Fuscagni, president of Cinecitta Holding, which is devoted to promoting Italy's film industry through film production, distribution and participation in film festivals and other film events around the world.

 

"But for the Italian film retrospective which marks the end of the Year of Italy in China, we will provide Chinese movie-goers with new prints or restored versions of a host of classic Italian movies."

 

Although Fuscagni did not reveal the entire list of titles to be shown, he did point out that two of his personal favorites would be among those shown to audiences in Shanghai.

 

One is Gabriele Salvatores's Io non ho paura (I'm not scared), produced in 2003, while the other is Dopo mezzanotte (After midnight), directed in 2004 by Davide Ferrario.

 

Fuscagni added that the film retrospective, with older and more diverse styles of films, aims to give Chinese audiences "an entire picture of Italy, the country, its people and the film industry."

 

Italian movies are noted for their high levels of artistry and creativity, as well as their great depth.

 

But Chinese fans of Italian films have few opportunities to see these cinematic gems in an appropriate setting, having to make do with DVDs, small-scale screenings at universities or film clubs, or watching them on China Central Television's movie channel.

 

"China and Italy both have a long history of filmmaking. Movies are the perfect media for cultural exchanges. It's another way to see the world," remarked Fuscagni.

 

"By holding these film events, we hope to raise Chinese audiences' awareness of Italian movies, besides movies from other foreign countries."

 

He said that his company has been working over the past few years to help promote the visibility of Chinese films in Italy by organizing Chinese film festivals.

 

Every year, about four to five Chinese films, especially those by well-known directors such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, have had nationwide release in movie theatres, said Usai.

 

He predicted that there could be more major releases of Chinese movies in the years to come.

 

"But that is decided by the film market, and by audiences in Italy who have shown an increasing interest in China and Chinese culture," he said.

 

(China Daily June 6, 2006)