The 7th edition is the most anticipated event for contemporary Italian cinema in Japan: a unique event which in the past years has succeeded in combining a high culture profile with a very commercial edge. More than half of the films presented in last year’s edition were sold to Japanese distributors. The Festival, organized by Filmitalia in partnership with Asahi Shimbun – Japanese editorial giant-in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Tokyo and Italian Cultural Institute, is also under the patronage of the Presidency of the Italian republic. The event created in 2001, coinciding with the Italian year in Japan, has become a fundamental moment for our Film Industry, which in terms of attendance ranks third, after the U.S. and France. This event over the years has not only succeeded in winning over the Japanese audience, which has seen the number of spectators multiply five times, reaching a total of 15000, but has also earned the attention of the press and Japanese distributors. The 2007 edition will present a selection of the most recent contemporary Italian productions: fifteen films and five shorts, most of them introduced by the actors and directors who were flown in from Italy for the occasion; this year’s artistic delegation accompanied by Filmitalia President, Irene Bignardi, includes Kim Rossi Stuart, Jasmine Trinca, Elio Germano, Giacomo Rizzo, Davide Ferrario, Cristiano Bortone, Stefano Venaruso e Agostino Ferrente, per la stampa Paolo Giaccio, Alberto Dentice and photographer Pietro Coccia. To access the list of films presented click here.