04/11/2005

A complete retrospective on Claude Chabrol, another dedicated to Walter Hill, 13 world premieres, 21 European premieres and a tribute to the masters of horror (including Dario Argento). From November 11-19, the Turin Film Festival will once again turn its attentions on films that tend towards stylistic and aesthetic explorations, directors Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan and Roberto Turigliatto confirmed: "Not only auteur cinema, but innovative commercial films as well."

The retrospective dedicated to Claude Chabrol, master of the Nouvelle Vague, is an important one as it spans his entire 50-year career and over 70 films, a production so vast that it will be divided over two editions of the festival. This year’s edition will cover the French filmmaker’s debut film through to 1982 (including short film M le maudit, a humorous 13-minute remake of Fritz Lang’s M). Claude Chabrol will be in Turin to speak with audiences.

A further four sections offer just as rich a selection: Competition, Out of Competition, Americana and Detours. The Competition Section is made up primarily of debut and second feature films while Out of Competition includes established directors such as Tsai Ming Liang, Aleksandr Sokurov, Cédric Kahn, Raoul Ruiz, Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Johnnie To. No distinction has been made between documentaries and feature films. "We believe they are fields that overlap and contaminate each other," stated the directors. Detour is the most eccentric section, which wades into in unknown territories and, according to Turigliatto, "reflects the trust that young filmmakers are re-proposing today in cinema."
Isabella Rossellini will open the Turin festival, with a short film by Guy Maddin dedicated to her father Roberto, an anticipation of sorts of the celebrations that will be held in 2006 for the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian master.

(Translated from Italian)