‘Rendez vous with Italian cinema’ kicks off its first edition in Istanbul with 10 feature films selected by journalist and writer Irene Bignardi. This Italian film showcase features a number of titles selected from last year’s major International film festivals (Locarno, Venezia, Toronto), using the formula “Festival of Festivals” offering the general public and film professionals the “best of” the most recent Italian productions.
This event is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation, the Italian Cultural Institute of Istanbul and Cinecittà Luce-Filmitalia with the patronage of the Italian Ambassador Gianpaolo Scarante and the support of the Italian Consulate in Istanbul.
The screenings and Q&A’s of ‘Rendez vous with Italian Cinema’ will all take place at the prestigious Teatro Casa d’Italia of the Italian Culture Institute.
The films screened, will be accompanied by a substantial Italian delegation that includes Cristiana Capotondi (for The Passion by Carlo Mazzacurati, as the opening film), Gianfrancesco Lazotti, Filippo Nigro, Ascanio Celestini, Pasquale Scimeca, Paola Randi, Daniele Coluccini, Matteo Botrugno, Giorgia Cecere, Pietro Casella, and other film representatives and foreign distributors.

The 2010 Selection – Istanbul 2010’
• Dalla vita in poi by Gianfrancesco Lazotti
• Into Paradiso by Paola Randi
• Et in terra pax by Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini
• Hai paura del buio by Massimo Coppola
• Malavoglia by Pasquale Scimeca
• La passione by Carlo Mazzacurati
• La pecora nera by Ascanio Celestini
• Pietro by Daniele Gaglianone
• La prima cosa bella by Paolo Virzì
• Il primo incarico by Giorgia Cecere