Italian producer Luciano Sovena, who was instrumental to bringing early works by several of Italy’s now-prominent auteurs such as Alice Rohrwacher, Luciano Frammartino, and Saverio Costanzo, to the big screen, has died. He was 73.
News of Sovena’s sudden death was announced on Sunday by the Rome and Lazio Film Commission Foundation, of which he was president. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The foundation paid tribute to Sovena as “A great and generous professional; a friend of Italian cinema,” in a statement. It went on to note that he was “Ironic, ‘simpatico’ and open to everyone.”
Prior to heading Rome’s film commission – which runs Italy’s top regional film fund – Sovena was for a long stretch managing director of Italy’s state film entity Istituto Luce.
In both of these roles, “He had become a reference point for the world that he loved: the world of...
News of Sovena’s sudden death was announced on Sunday by the Rome and Lazio Film Commission Foundation, of which he was president. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The foundation paid tribute to Sovena as “A great and generous professional; a friend of Italian cinema,” in a statement. It went on to note that he was “Ironic, ‘simpatico’ and open to everyone.”
Prior to heading Rome’s film commission – which runs Italy’s top regional film fund – Sovena was for a long stretch managing director of Italy’s state film entity Istituto Luce.
In both of these roles, “He had become a reference point for the world that he loved: the world of...
- 5/14/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Rome Film Festival (October 17-27) has unveiled its 2019 official selection, which includes Downton Abbey, Waves, Judy, The Aeronauts, Hustlers and Werner Herzog documentary Nomad[/link] about writer Bruce Chatwin.
A total of 33 films and documentaries will play in the official lineup (full list below). As previously announced, the fest will open with Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn while Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman will have a centerpiece screening. Only two Italian movies are included in the main selection.
The festival also revealed a pre-opening October 16 world premiere for John Turturro’s anticipated The Big Lebowski spinoff, The Jesus Rolls, which follows Lebowski character Jesus Quintana.
The impressive lineup of onstage interviews includes Bill Murray and Viola Davis – both of whom will receive lifetime achievement awards – Fanny Ardant, Olivier Assayas, Ethan Coen, Benicio Del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Ron Howard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Edward Norton, Bertrand Tavernier, John Travolta and Jia Zhangke.
A total of 33 films and documentaries will play in the official lineup (full list below). As previously announced, the fest will open with Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn while Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman will have a centerpiece screening. Only two Italian movies are included in the main selection.
The festival also revealed a pre-opening October 16 world premiere for John Turturro’s anticipated The Big Lebowski spinoff, The Jesus Rolls, which follows Lebowski character Jesus Quintana.
The impressive lineup of onstage interviews includes Bill Murray and Viola Davis – both of whom will receive lifetime achievement awards – Fanny Ardant, Olivier Assayas, Ethan Coen, Benicio Del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Ron Howard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Edward Norton, Bertrand Tavernier, John Travolta and Jia Zhangke.
- 10/4/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Leading Italian sales company True Colors has closed a slew of sales at the Cannes Market and landed North American deals on horror pic “In The Trap” and gay-themed comedy “An Almost Ordinary Summer,” acquired respectively by Mpi Media Group and Wolfe Releasing.
The English-language “In The Trap” (pictured) directed by Italy’s Alessio Liguori as his feature-film debut, and produced by Italian shingles Dreamworld Movies and Mad Rocket Entertainment generated a flurry of deals, confirming the growing global appetite for horror titles and the resurgence of Italy’s capability to churn out chillers that can travel.
“In The Trap,” which features an international cast comprising South Africa’s David Bailie (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”), and Sonya Cullingford (“The Mummy”), is about a solitary proof reader trapped by fear in his apartment where he is tortured by an unknown evil force. Besides the U.S. and Canada,...
The English-language “In The Trap” (pictured) directed by Italy’s Alessio Liguori as his feature-film debut, and produced by Italian shingles Dreamworld Movies and Mad Rocket Entertainment generated a flurry of deals, confirming the growing global appetite for horror titles and the resurgence of Italy’s capability to churn out chillers that can travel.
“In The Trap,” which features an international cast comprising South Africa’s David Bailie (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”), and Sonya Cullingford (“The Mummy”), is about a solitary proof reader trapped by fear in his apartment where he is tortured by an unknown evil force. Besides the U.S. and Canada,...
- 5/27/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italian sales company True Colours is launching sales in Berlin on new pics by Italian auteurs Mario Martone (“Capri Revolution”) and Guido Lombardi (“La-bas: A Criminal Education”). Both pics have ties to the city of Naples and are produced by Indigo film, the shingle behind Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-winning “The Great Beauty.”
Martone (pictured) is a veteran of both stage and screen whose “Capri, Revolution” competed in Venice last year. He has now finished shooting “The Mayor of Rione Sanità” a contemporary adaptation of the eponymous play by late Neapolitan playwright Eduardo De Filippo that delves into the complexities of the Camorra, as Neapolitan organized crime is known. Shot in crime-riddled areas of the city, the film is performed by a mix of professional and non-professional actors. Martone’s regular editor Jacopo Quadri, who is also known for his work with Gianfranco Rosi and Bernardo Bertolucci, is currently in final stages on the project.
Martone (pictured) is a veteran of both stage and screen whose “Capri, Revolution” competed in Venice last year. He has now finished shooting “The Mayor of Rione Sanità” a contemporary adaptation of the eponymous play by late Neapolitan playwright Eduardo De Filippo that delves into the complexities of the Camorra, as Neapolitan organized crime is known. Shot in crime-riddled areas of the city, the film is performed by a mix of professional and non-professional actors. Martone’s regular editor Jacopo Quadri, who is also known for his work with Gianfranco Rosi and Bernardo Bertolucci, is currently in final stages on the project.
- 2/7/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
As any casual visit to Donald Trump’s Twitter feed will demonstrate, the 45th president nurses a lot of grudges. And it seems like Amanda Knox is one of the many people who has hurt his feelings It all came out in a New York Times profile Friday of Italian-American businessman George Guido Lombardi, a Trump Tower resident who has presented himself as a point of contact between the president and hard-right European political parties. The article contains many interesting details about Lombardi’s purported relationships with European white nationalists like Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders, albeit with plenty of implied side eye.
- 4/14/2017
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Italian director won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for The Wonders.
Italian director Alice Rohrwacher has been named President of the International Jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Filmat the 71st Venice International Film Festival (Aug 27 to Sept 6).
The jury will comprise seven personalities from the international cinema scene, including a producer, and will select one film from among all the first features in the various competitive sections of the festival (Official Selection and Independent and Parallel Sections).
Awarding it the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film, a cash prize of $100,000 will be divided equally between the director and the producer. No joint winners are allowed.
Winners in recent years include Cogunluk (Majority) by Seren Yüce (2010); Là-Bas (Là-Bas: A Criminal Education) by Guido Lombardi (2011); Küf (Mold) by Ali Aydin (2012); and White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (2013).
Rohrwacher won the Grand Prix at...
Italian director Alice Rohrwacher has been named President of the International Jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Filmat the 71st Venice International Film Festival (Aug 27 to Sept 6).
The jury will comprise seven personalities from the international cinema scene, including a producer, and will select one film from among all the first features in the various competitive sections of the festival (Official Selection and Independent and Parallel Sections).
Awarding it the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film, a cash prize of $100,000 will be divided equally between the director and the producer. No joint winners are allowed.
Winners in recent years include Cogunluk (Majority) by Seren Yüce (2010); Là-Bas (Là-Bas: A Criminal Education) by Guido Lombardi (2011); Küf (Mold) by Ali Aydin (2012); and White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (2013).
Rohrwacher won the Grand Prix at...
- 6/16/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Seventh Code and Takashi Miike’s The Mole Song added to the competition titles.
The Rome Film Festival has revealed its line-up of features, including 12 world premieres among 18 competition titles.
The festival, which runs from Nov 8-17, will include 71 features in the official selection as well 11 medium-length films and 19 shorts.
A total of 1,542 features and 1,078 short films were submitted from 76 countries, according to the festival.
The competition (‘Concorso’) films include:
Wp = World Premiere
IP = International Premiere
ItP = Italian Premiere
Another Me, Isabel Coixet (Spain-uk) Wpi Am Not Him, Tayfun Pirselimoglu (Tur-Fra-Gre-Ger) WPForeign Bodies, Mirko Locatelli (Italy) WPDallas Buyers Club, Jean-Marc Vallée (Us) ItPSheep’s Clothing, Paulo Morelli (Brazil) IPAcrid, Kiarash Asadizadeh (Iran) WPHer, Spike Jonze (Us) IPBlue Sky Bones, Jian Cui (China) WPManto Acuífero, Michael Rowe (Mexico) IPThe Mole Song, Takashi Miike (Japan) WPOut Of The Furnace, Scott Cooper (Us-uk) IPQuod Erat Demonstrandum, Andrei Gruzsniczki (Romania) WPSeventh Code, Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan...
The Rome Film Festival has revealed its line-up of features, including 12 world premieres among 18 competition titles.
The festival, which runs from Nov 8-17, will include 71 features in the official selection as well 11 medium-length films and 19 shorts.
A total of 1,542 features and 1,078 short films were submitted from 76 countries, according to the festival.
The competition (‘Concorso’) films include:
Wp = World Premiere
IP = International Premiere
ItP = Italian Premiere
Another Me, Isabel Coixet (Spain-uk) Wpi Am Not Him, Tayfun Pirselimoglu (Tur-Fra-Gre-Ger) WPForeign Bodies, Mirko Locatelli (Italy) WPDallas Buyers Club, Jean-Marc Vallée (Us) ItPSheep’s Clothing, Paulo Morelli (Brazil) IPAcrid, Kiarash Asadizadeh (Iran) WPHer, Spike Jonze (Us) IPBlue Sky Bones, Jian Cui (China) WPManto Acuífero, Michael Rowe (Mexico) IPThe Mole Song, Takashi Miike (Japan) WPOut Of The Furnace, Scott Cooper (Us-uk) IPQuod Erat Demonstrandum, Andrei Gruzsniczki (Romania) WPSeventh Code, Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan...
- 10/14/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Saudi Arabian director of Wadjda will head up the Luigi De Laurentiis jury at the Venice Film Festival.
Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al Mansour is to chair the International Jury for the Luigi De Laurentiis Venice Award for a debut film at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.
The first female director to come out of Saudi Arabia, her debut feature Wadjda screened at Venice last year to much critical acclaim.
The jury, which will comprise of 7 leading international figures including a producer, will award a $10,000 cash prize to one of the debut feature-length films in the various competitive sections of the Venice Film Festival, which runs August 28-September 7.
Previous winners have included Guido Lombardi’s La-Bas and Ali Aydin’s Kuf.
Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al Mansour is to chair the International Jury for the Luigi De Laurentiis Venice Award for a debut film at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.
The first female director to come out of Saudi Arabia, her debut feature Wadjda screened at Venice last year to much critical acclaim.
The jury, which will comprise of 7 leading international figures including a producer, will award a $10,000 cash prize to one of the debut feature-length films in the various competitive sections of the Venice Film Festival, which runs August 28-September 7.
Previous winners have included Guido Lombardi’s La-Bas and Ali Aydin’s Kuf.
- 7/10/2013
- by sarah.cooper@screendaily.com (Sarah Cooper)
- ScreenDaily
After it premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival last fall, it opened in Italy in March of this year, and also screened in the UK at the Italian Film Festival in London; I only just learned that it screened right here in NYC in June, at the Open Roads: New Italian Cinema series at Film Society (Lincoln Center). Obviously I missed it! Directed by Guido Lombardi, it's called Là-bas: A Criminal Education. My limited French tells me that "Là-bas" translates as "over there" in English. Its synopsis reads: Castel Volturno, 30 km from Naples. A Camorra commando breaks into a tailor’s shop managed by African...
- 8/27/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.
- 4/27/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Oscar Season Officially Begins! Check Out Complete List of Winners of the 68th Venice Film Festival!
Official Awards of the 68th Venice Film Festival
Venezia 68
Golden Lion for Best Film
Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)
Silver Lion for Best Director
Shangjun Cai for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China - Hong Kong)
Special Jury Prize
Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
Michael Fassbender in the film Shame by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actress
Deanie Yip in the film Tao jie (A Simple Life) by Ann Hui (China - Hong Kong)
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Shôta Sometani and Fumi Nikaidô in the film Himizu by Sion Sono (Japan)
Osella for the Best Cinematography
Robbie Ryan for the film Wuthering Heights by Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom)
Osella for Best Screenplay
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou for the film Alpis (Alps) by Yorgos Lanthimos (Grecia)
Lion of the Future -...
Venezia 68
Golden Lion for Best Film
Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)
Silver Lion for Best Director
Shangjun Cai for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China - Hong Kong)
Special Jury Prize
Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
Michael Fassbender in the film Shame by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actress
Deanie Yip in the film Tao jie (A Simple Life) by Ann Hui (China - Hong Kong)
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Shôta Sometani and Fumi Nikaidô in the film Himizu by Sion Sono (Japan)
Osella for the Best Cinematography
Robbie Ryan for the film Wuthering Heights by Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom)
Osella for Best Screenplay
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou for the film Alpis (Alps) by Yorgos Lanthimos (Grecia)
Lion of the Future -...
- 9/12/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Aleksandr Sokurov's Faust has won the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. Now's a good time to catch up with Daniel Kasman's review.
The Jury, headed by Darren Aronofsky, awarded the Silver Lion (Best Director) to Cai Shangjun for People Mountain People Sea.
The Special Jury Prize goes to Emanuele Crialese's Terraferma. A roundup was posted earlier today.
The Osella for Best Screenplay goes to Giorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou for Alps. (Roundup and Daniel Kasman's review.)
The Osella for Best Cinematography: Robbie Ryan for Wuthering Heights. (Roundup.)
Michael Fassbender wins the Volpi Cup (Best Actor) for his performance in Steve McQueens's Shame (roundup), while the Volpi Cup for Best Actress goes to Deanie Ip for her performance in Ann Hui's A Simple Life (roundup and Daniel Kasman's review).
The Marcello Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor) goes to Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido for their work in Sion Sono's Himizu.
The Jury, headed by Darren Aronofsky, awarded the Silver Lion (Best Director) to Cai Shangjun for People Mountain People Sea.
The Special Jury Prize goes to Emanuele Crialese's Terraferma. A roundup was posted earlier today.
The Osella for Best Screenplay goes to Giorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou for Alps. (Roundup and Daniel Kasman's review.)
The Osella for Best Cinematography: Robbie Ryan for Wuthering Heights. (Roundup.)
Michael Fassbender wins the Volpi Cup (Best Actor) for his performance in Steve McQueens's Shame (roundup), while the Volpi Cup for Best Actress goes to Deanie Ip for her performance in Ann Hui's A Simple Life (roundup and Daniel Kasman's review).
The Marcello Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor) goes to Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido for their work in Sion Sono's Himizu.
- 9/11/2011
- MUBI
Faust directed by Aleksander Sokurov of Russia won the Golden Lion for the Best Film at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. The festival came to a close on September 10 with the award ceremony.
The Special Jury prize went to Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese of Italy.
Fipresci Prizes went to Shame directed by Steve McQueen of UK and Two Years at Sea directed by Ben Rivers of UK.
The Indian films that were presented at the festival are Amit Dutta’s Sonchidi and Gurvinder Singh’s Anhey Ghore Da Daan (Alms of the Blind Horse).
Official Awards of the 68th Venice Film Festival
Golden Lion for Best Film
Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)
Silver Lion for Best Director
Shangjun Cai for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China – Hong Kong)
Special Jury Prize
Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
Michael Fassbender in...
The Special Jury prize went to Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese of Italy.
Fipresci Prizes went to Shame directed by Steve McQueen of UK and Two Years at Sea directed by Ben Rivers of UK.
The Indian films that were presented at the festival are Amit Dutta’s Sonchidi and Gurvinder Singh’s Anhey Ghore Da Daan (Alms of the Blind Horse).
Official Awards of the 68th Venice Film Festival
Golden Lion for Best Film
Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)
Silver Lion for Best Director
Shangjun Cai for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China – Hong Kong)
Special Jury Prize
Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
Michael Fassbender in...
- 9/11/2011
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Getty Actors Anton Adasinskiy, Johannes Zeiler, director Aleksander Sokurov, Festival Director Marco Muller, producer Andrey Sigle and guests attend the ‘Faust’ premiere during the 68th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 8, 2011 in Venice, Italy.
Russian director Aleksander Sokurov’s “Faust” won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday night.
Sokurov has described “Faust” — a new interpretation of Goethe’s tragedy — as the last installment of his four films exploring the “nature of power,...
Russian director Aleksander Sokurov’s “Faust” won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday night.
Sokurov has described “Faust” — a new interpretation of Goethe’s tragedy — as the last installment of his four films exploring the “nature of power,...
- 9/10/2011
- by Dean Napolitano
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
By G. Clay Whittaker
Hollywoodnews.com: A stacked lineup is set to impress at the Venice Film Festival, and more is likely to come later this week. But for now the 26th Critics’ Week list is looking strong, if absent representation from the U.S. and Asia.
New works from David Cronenberg, Steven Soderbergh, Roman Polanski, Todd Solondz, Jonathan Demme, Alexander Sokurov, Mary Harron, William Friedkin, George Clooney and Madonna will all show at the festival, but for the Critics’ Week the lineup is largely Eurocentric.
The 26th Critics’ Week features a largely European set of films. Italy’s two home teamers include Francesco Lagi and his comedy “(Mission of Peace)” and a mob thriller by Guido Lombardi. Swedish director Simon Kaijser da Silva has a picture in the competition, as do Cyril Mennegun and French-Ukranian Michale Boganim. Mexico and Argentina have films in play thanks to Kyzza Terrazas and Hernan Belon,...
Hollywoodnews.com: A stacked lineup is set to impress at the Venice Film Festival, and more is likely to come later this week. But for now the 26th Critics’ Week list is looking strong, if absent representation from the U.S. and Asia.
New works from David Cronenberg, Steven Soderbergh, Roman Polanski, Todd Solondz, Jonathan Demme, Alexander Sokurov, Mary Harron, William Friedkin, George Clooney and Madonna will all show at the festival, but for the Critics’ Week the lineup is largely Eurocentric.
The 26th Critics’ Week features a largely European set of films. Italy’s two home teamers include Francesco Lagi and his comedy “(Mission of Peace)” and a mob thriller by Guido Lombardi. Swedish director Simon Kaijser da Silva has a picture in the competition, as do Cyril Mennegun and French-Ukranian Michale Boganim. Mexico and Argentina have films in play thanks to Kyzza Terrazas and Hernan Belon,...
- 7/26/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
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