10/04/2008

Of the eight new films on release in Italy, five are European (co)productions. The most highly anticipated is Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese’s documentary on the Rolling Stones that opened this year’s Berlinale. The project is a return to the concert film for the director of The Last Waltz and was produced by the UK’s Concert Promotions International. It is being distributed in Italy by BIM.

Another Berlin title, but from 2007, is Steve Buscemi’s Interview (released on 45 screens by Fandango): the first instalment of a trilogy of remakes of films by Theo van Gogh, which Dutch producer Gijs van de Westelaken (with his Column Productions and US and Canadian financing) is making in America.

A fully European co-production is the latest by Basque director Alex de la Iglesia, The Oxford Murders [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Álex de la Iglesia
interview: Gerardo Herrero and Mariela…
film profile] (see Focus). Shot in the UK with an international cast, the film was produced by Spain’s Tornasol Films with France’s La Fabrique de Films. Warner Bros. is distributing it on 102 screens.

The last two European titles are both Italian. Mikado Film is bringing to 236 screens La seconda volta non si scorda mai, the romantic comedy by Francesco Raniero Martinotti, starring Neapolitan comic Alessandro Siani.

Riprendimi by Anna Negri, in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, follows the break-up of a young couple and features emerging young stars Alba Rohrwacher and Marco Foschi. Produced by actress Francesca Neri, Medusa Film is distributing it on a 75-print run.

The weekend’s releases are rounded out by George Clooney’s third directorial endeavour, Leatherheads (Universal), the adventurous Nim’s Island by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin (Moviemax), and the action movie Shoot’Em Up by Michael Davis, with Monica Bellucci (Medusa).

(Translated from Italian)