24/10/2006

Four hundred arthouse cinema operators will participate in the sixth edition of the "Incontri del cinema d’essai", held from today through October 26 in Ravenna.

Promoted by the FICE (Federazione Italiana dei Cinema d'Essai) (Italian Federation of Arthouse Cinemas), the meeting will feature premieres and trailers as well as other events for professionals.

There will be 13 premieres: A casa nostra [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Francesca Comencini, Hearts [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Alain Resnais, Infamous by Douglas McGrath, Black Book [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Paul Verhoeven, L'aria salata [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alessandro Angelini
film profile] by Alessandro Angelini, The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry, Red Like the Sky [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Cristiano Bortone, Requiem [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Sandra Hueller
film profile] by Hans-Christian Schmid, Grizzly Man by Werner Herzog, After the Wedding [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sisse Graum Jørgensen
interview: Susanne Bier
film profile] by Suzanne Bier, Love + Hate by Dominic Savage, and Shortbus by John Cameron Mitchell.

Four of these films – Red Like the Sky, Love + Hate, Infamous and Black Book – will have free public screenings.

Other professional events include the seminar "Cinema d’essai: il modello Francia – Tutto quello che avreste voluto sapere sulle leggi, il sostegno pubblico, la promozione…" and the seminar "Visibilità e diffusione del cinema d’autore tra strategie di lancio e incentivi", respectively on the French model of production and distribution of arthouse films and the strategic promotion and distribution of auteur cinema in general.

A heated debate among distributors and exhibitors is expected for the latter seminar. "Cinema cannot be viewed only in terms of box office, but as a cultural focal point: the film must be seen as something valuable and the movie theatre as an important and primary method for its diffusion with respect to all other methods, from DVDs to free or Pay TV", said Domenico Dinoia, president of FICE.

(Translated from Italian)