Multi-ethnic New York always welcomes events celebrating Italian culture. But this time the inauguration of Open Roads was more festive and exciting than ever. The delegation of Italian directors and producers (Andrea Porporati, Silvio Soldini, Gianni Zanasi, Davide Marengo, Andrea Molaioli, Ferzan Ozpetek, Esmeralda Calabria, Stefano Coletta, Marco Pettenello, Jasmine Trinca, Vincenzo Amato,Fabrizio Gifuni, Lionello Cerri, Tilde Corsi, Sandro Silvestri, Rita Rognoni, Gianmario Feletti) were presented on stage by Film Society Director Richard Peña before a sold out audience for the opening screening by Silvio Soldini, Days and Clouds.
Days and Clouds is distributed in the U.S. by Film Movement and will be released in two New York theatres in July (Lincoln Plaza and Quod Cinema) and afterwards in Los Angeles.
Also featured at this year’s Open roads was director Ferzan Ozpetek’s sold out screening of Saturn in opposition (by now a well known figure to New York audiences, having presented His Secret Life , Facing Windows and Cuore sacro at past editions of Open Roads. Saturn in Opposition is distributed in the U.S. by Strand Releasing and will soon be released in American theatres).
Andrea Molaioli’s The Girl by the Lake also received a very warm welcome and Also receiving a warm welcome and attracting interest for a possibile American distribution is Salvatore Maira’s film, Valzer.
Distribution deals are also in the works for Gianni Zanasi’s Don’t Think About it which continues to earn International acclaim: in France, six weeks after its theatre release the film grossed around 600.000 euro and will soon be released in cinemas of thirteen other European countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, etc).
Filmitalia President, Irene Bignardi, who accompanied the delegation to New York made the following statement: “the welcome received for this year’s edition of Open Roads in New York demonstrates that the two important prizes given to Italian cinema at this year’s Cannes Film Festival derive from a style of filmmaking capable of speaking efficiently to an International audience”.