10/08/2005

“When they submitted Cantina (Keller)'s script to me, I knew it was an undoubtedly risky project. However, the beautiful script written by Eva Urthaler, the credibility of Franz Novotny, the Austrian producer but above all my film production policy aimed at discovering new talented people drove me to make this young Austrian filmmaker's first work" says Alessandro Verdecchi, coproducing almost 10% of the budget. (See the making of of Keller)

Keller, in competition at the 58th Locarno International Film Festival , is a coproduction between Austria, Germany and Italy by Novotny & Novotny Filmproduktion, Kanguruh Film and Misami Film. "The European coproductions – adds Verdecchi – could be a good way to face the North American film invasion. I say "could" since, according to me, all bilateral agreements existing between the 25 EU countries should be revised in order to unify them in a single European law for all member states. A law that would make the coproductions governing rules easier and enable independent producers to gather with minimum quotas on all projects".

La guerra di Mario, directed by Antonio Capuano, produced by Nicola Giuliano and Francesca Cima for Indigo Film, Domenico Procacci for Fandango and distributed by Medusa Film will be the only Italian film to compete in Locarno this year. Face Addict by Edo Bertoglio (Downtown Pictures and by Amka Films) and the two first works selected for Cineasti del presente: Sangue by Libero De Rienzo, produced by Nitrofilm, Rai Cinema and Mikado Film, and Gas by Luciano Melchionna, produced by Blu Cinematografica will be presented out of competition.
Giuseppe Bertolucci, Tommaso Cotronei, Annamaria Gallone, Vincenzo Marra, Tecla Taidelli and Marco Turco's recent works will be presented among others in the other festival's sections.

(Translated from Italian)