02/05/2012 - 150 actors, directors and stars of the entertainment industry sign an appeal calling for the new director of the Rome Film Festival to be placed in the right conditions to be able to organise the next edition

Bertolucci, Olmi, Bellocchio, Salvatores, Crialese, as well as Toni Servillo, Stefania Sandrelli, the producers Riccardo Tozzi and Pietro Valsecchi, and singer-songwriter Franco Battiato feature amongst the 150 signatories of an appeal in favour of the new director of the Rome Film Festival, Marco Müller.

In an open letter, released today and addressed to politicians and administrators, artists of the film and entertainment industry ask that Müller be placed in the "conditions to guarantee that an all too near 2012 edition takes place", and that his contract as director of the Rome Film Festival therefore be closed.

Marco Müller's nomination as artistic director, on March 16 (see the news), has in fact still not been turned into a signed contract. According to rumours, the former director of the Venice Film Festival is becoming increasingly worried with regards to timing and has not made a mystery of the fact that he considers Cannes as a deadline (The French festival starts on May 16). The next board of director's meeting of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, which could lead to a conclusion of the matter, will take place on Friday, assured the President Paolo Ferrari, dismissing the rumours going around about the alleged problems with the staff of selectors suggested by Müller.

"Any further loss of time would be a defeat for Rome and a huge setback for Italian cinema", says the appeal, "And would probably lead to the event's death and the cancellation of any future prospects".

(Translated from Italian)