24/02/2012

Marco Mueller (pictured) has taken another step towards the post of director of the Rome International Film Festival, held by Piera Detassis until December 2011.

During the meeting of the Board of Directors held this afternoon, the festival’s President, Gian Luigi Rondi, who was pushing for Detassis’ reinstatement, handed in his resignation before June’s natural expiry date. In so doing he opened the way for the candidate supported by the capital’s mayor, Gianni Alemanno, and by the president of the region, Renata Polverini.

The next few days will see a meeting between the Collegio dei Fondatori, composed of Regione Lazio, the Provincial Administration, the Municipality, the Chambers of Commerce and the Musica per Roma Foundation, who together will need to nominate the new president. The most likely name is that of Paolo Ferrari, former President of Warner Bros Italy and of Anica. Once appointed president, a new BoD meeting will be called to reach an agreement on Mueller as artistic director.

This nomination has been surrounded by political discord in the last few months (see the article), strongly denounced by the world of cinema because it risked harming the industry itself. The Minister for Culture Lorenzo Ornaghi, in a meeting with President Rondi last Tuesday, had himself "hoped that all the institutions and entities involved would try all they can to give continuity to such an important event for the city of Rome and for the entire film sector".

(Translated from Italian)