12/12/2013 - Leaving after a hugely successful festival, but consumed by his own cinema projects, the Livorno-native director will assist the new director Emanuela Martini taking on the role of Guest Director

“I have an intense year of cinema projects ahead of me, which is why I will no longer be able to direct the TFF full time. But enthusiasm from the public, as well as my attachment and high regard to the team I worked with have convinced me to stay on for another year in the role of Guest Director,  getting going with what lies ahead which is a long series of collaborations with active filmmakers.” Paolo Virzì used these words to shed light on his future with the Turin Film Festival.

His announcement comes after a successful edition of the festival, which came to a close last November 30 and saw a revenue increasing of 31% compared to last year and a net increase of audience presence (from 75,000 in 2012 to 92,000 this year). The Livorno-native director is preparing for the release of his latest film in 2014, Il capitale umano [+see also:
trailer
interview: Paolo Virzì
film profile], with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Valeria Golino, Luigi Lo Cascio, Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Fabrizio Gifuni. After just one year of leadership, he is leaving the helm of the festival to cinema critic and commentator Emanuela Martini, who after seven years acting as number two, will now assume the festival’s top position.

“I will not be disappearing from a festival I feel very tied to,” Virzì explained. “I will be contributing with some initiatives and probably one tailor-made section.” Inspired by the Telluride festival in the United States, the TFF will be the first festival in Europe to introduce the role of a Guest Director, who for one year will be in charge of curating one or more events across the festival, assisting the actual festival’s director.

Emanuela Martini, 62, from Italy’s Forli commune, was co-director with Angelo Signorelli at the Bergamo Film Meeting between 1999 and 2007, as well as being director of the weekly Film TV publication during the same time period. At the Turin Film Festival, she assisted Nanni Moretti, director in 2007 and 2008 and Gianni Amelio, director from 2009 to 2012. An expert of British cinema, publications include "Storia del cinema inglese 1930-1990", "Free cinema e dintorni: nuovo cinema inglese, 1956-1968" and "Il lungo addio: l'America di Robert Altman.”

(Translated from Italian)