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RELEASES Italy

Full speed for debut films

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- After Spaghetti Story and Smetto quando voglio, two other promising film debuts to hit movie theatres: Una domenica notte and Amori elementari

Full speed for debut films
Laura Gaia Piacentile and Rachele Cremona in Amori elementari

Italian cinema is making new ground. In recent weeks, good surprises have been coming in from young directors and their film debuts. Despite limited budgets, they have managed to bring a breath of fresh air, great characters and a sense of humour to the big screen. Spaghetti Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Ciro De Caro (read the article) has remained in movie theatres for nine weeks, against all predictions, with a number of sold-out performances. Smetto quando voglio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sydney Sibilia
film profile
]
by Sydney Sibilia (article), considered by many as the funniest comedy to emerge in recent years, has already made €2 million after only two weeks playing. This Thursday, two more directors will have to fight for a place among other releases (including long-awaited 12 Years a Slave [+see also:
trailer
making of
interview: Michael Fassbender
film profile
]
and the much hyped up Saving Mr. Banks): Giuseppe Marco Albano with Una domenica notte [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
and Sergio Basso with Amori elementari [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
.

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Winner of the 2012 Nastro d’Argento 2012 for short Stand by Me, Albano (class of 1985) is kicking his feature career off with a sincere, entertaining and sometimes grotesque comedy, paying homage to a kind of filmmaking by also painting a portrait of the difficulties and compromises associated with it. Filmed entirely in Basilicata, the story is about Antonio Colucci (Antonio Andrisani, co-who wrote the screenplay with Albano), a provincial director who dreams of making a horror film. As he searches for funding, he will meet an array of people who turn out to be more frightening than the zombies he wants to bring to the big screen. These include an ignorant producer, Ernesto Mahieux (L'imbalsamatore). The cast is also made up of Francesca Faiella, Adolfo Margiotta, Anna Ferruzzo and Claudia Zanella. Produced by Camarda Film on a €500,000 budget, Una domenica notte is hitting 40 movie theatres with Distribuzione Indipendente (up-to-date programming available here).

Produced by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Sharon Cinema Production, RaiCinema and Zori Film (Russia), Amori elementari [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
is taking its first steps at a perfect time with the Winter Olympics under way in Sochi. The film, which partially takes place in Moscow, brings to life a number of children’s love stories with the backdrop of ice palaces, snowy mountains, hockey games and ice-skating. Sergio Basso, whose expertise has been documentary-based, wrote a screenplay with Marianna Chiappi and Marina Polla De Luca on the first loves a group of 10-year-old children have as they attend the same winter sports centre. Some are ice-hockey champions, others are ice-skating ones. Innocent and ferocious together – as only children can be – the young stars manage to be entertaining for an adult audience too, in a film, which shows majestic Dolomite landscapes, a little animation set to the sound of good music. The film’s originality is a pleasure. Next to the young actors are Cristiana Capotondi and Andrey Chernyshov. The film is being distributed in 60 to 70 cinemas by Academy Two.

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(Translated from Italian)

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