24/06/2003

Despite having directed two films based on and around jazz, the TV drama Jazz Band and a feature entitled Bix, veteran Italian film director Pupi Avati is about to begin work on a third film about a sextet of contemporary Italian musicians.
"Having explored traditional and romantic jazz, I now want to bring modern jazz to the big screen with a new generation of European and Italian musicians who decided to challenge America’s well established supremacy of musical style, " explained Avati.

Coproduced by Antonio Avati’s DueA Film and Rai Cinema, the as yet untitled film will be distributed by 01 in the spring of 2004. It will be made in collaboration with Umbria Jazz, the annual event which will provide the backdrop to the early scenes, when it gets underway on 16 July.
"Filming will have two distinct stages," said Avati, "the first will be live shots at Umbria Jazz without the stars of the film. Then in November we shall begin filming the story proper: the meeting of the musicians and their decision to form a sextet. This part will be made on location in Rome and Bologna. The story is told from the point of view of one of their number, a musician who unfortunately lacks talent. We are scheduling numerous auditions for musicians who can also act or actors who can play musical instruments and ads will also be appearing in specialist publications as well as in the "Wanted" columns of a number of Rome and Bologna’s daily newspapers. Those interested can also contact DueA Film on 06/321-1451."

(Translated from Italian)