This article originally appeared in
November 21, 2007
Fabled 25th Turin fest set to launch
Friday
By ERIC J. LYMAN
FLORENCE, Italy -- The 25th edition of the Turin Film Festival will get
underway Friday with the storied event still looking to find its footing in Italy's
fast-changing festival landscape.
Long Italy's premiere discovery festival, Turin this year is basking in the
notoriety of having one of Italy's best-known directors at the helm while also
feeling crowded by the country's jam-packed film festival calendar.
Turin made headlines with the off-again-on-again selection of award-
winning auteur Nanni Moretti as its new artistic director in January. Moretti
took the post, promptly quit after clashing with the festival's board, then re-
accepted the position after one board member stepped down.
Ten months later, Moretti made his own headlines when he overshadowed
a briefing ostensibly held to announce the Turin lineup by taking swipes at
the two-year-old RomaCinemaFest, which he said is scheduled too near
Turin's long-established spot on the calendar. He also said that Rome had
been aggressive in scheduling films that should rightfully screen in Turin.
"I am not looking for problems, but I am looking at the calendar and when
Rome picks a date that's one month after the Venice Film festival and one
month before Turin, then that means they are looking for trouble," Moretti
said at the Nov. 7 briefing. He noted that the Oct. 18-27 Rome event was
almost exactly at the mid-point between the Aug. 29-Sept. 8 Venice Film
Festival and Turin, which concludes Dec. 1.
The comments sparked a brief war of words -- "I'm sorry that Moretti has
been reduced to attacking the RomaCinemaFest as a way to attract more
visibility," Rome co-director Mario Sesti said soon after -- but as Turin's start
date draws closer, the dust has settled and attention has shifted to the
festival itself.
The festival's 12-film competition lineup of directors' first, second, or third
efforts is void of world premieres and of local Italian fare. But it does include
some noteworthy titles, including Sarah Polley's cerebral drama about a
woman with Alzheimer's disease, "Away From Her"; "The Art of Negative
Thinking," Norwegian helmer Bard Breien's tale of a man who contemplates
suicide after being seriously injured in a car accident; and the festival's
opening film, "The Savages" from Tamara Jenkins, which tells the story of a
brother and sister taking care of their ailing father.
Additionally, Moretti persuaded his friend Wim Wenders to come to Turin for
a complete retrospective and an onstage conversation and Q&A session.
The late John Cassavetes also will be honored with a retrospective.
The festival announced its jury just a week before the festival was set to
start, featuring several high-visibility figures including directors Aki
Kaurismaki and Andre Techine, and Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, a fixture
in Moretti's films.
So far, the reception among local moviegoers in Turin has been cool, though
festival officials say that will improve. The news agency ADNKronos reported
that online ticket sales have been weak, though festival officials say ticket
sales should pick up once the festival gets underway.
Friday
By ERIC J. LYMAN
FLORENCE, Italy -- The 25th edition of the Turin Film Festival will get
underway Friday with the storied event still looking to find its footing in Italy's
fast-changing festival landscape.
Long Italy's premiere discovery festival, Turin this year is basking in the
notoriety of having one of Italy's best-known directors at the helm while also
feeling crowded by the country's jam-packed film festival calendar.
Turin made headlines with the off-again-on-again selection of award-
winning auteur Nanni Moretti as its new artistic director in January. Moretti
took the post, promptly quit after clashing with the festival's board, then re-
accepted the position after one board member stepped down.
Ten months later, Moretti made his own headlines when he overshadowed
a briefing ostensibly held to announce the Turin lineup by taking swipes at
the two-year-old RomaCinemaFest, which he said is scheduled too near
Turin's long-established spot on the calendar. He also said that Rome had
been aggressive in scheduling films that should rightfully screen in Turin.
"I am not looking for problems, but I am looking at the calendar and when
Rome picks a date that's one month after the Venice Film festival and one
month before Turin, then that means they are looking for trouble," Moretti
said at the Nov. 7 briefing. He noted that the Oct. 18-27 Rome event was
almost exactly at the mid-point between the Aug. 29-Sept. 8 Venice Film
Festival and Turin, which concludes Dec. 1.
The comments sparked a brief war of words -- "I'm sorry that Moretti has
been reduced to attacking the RomaCinemaFest as a way to attract more
visibility," Rome co-director Mario Sesti said soon after -- but as Turin's start
date draws closer, the dust has settled and attention has shifted to the
festival itself.
The festival's 12-film competition lineup of directors' first, second, or third
efforts is void of world premieres and of local Italian fare. But it does include
some noteworthy titles, including Sarah Polley's cerebral drama about a
woman with Alzheimer's disease, "Away From Her"; "The Art of Negative
Thinking," Norwegian helmer Bard Breien's tale of a man who contemplates
suicide after being seriously injured in a car accident; and the festival's
opening film, "The Savages" from Tamara Jenkins, which tells the story of a
brother and sister taking care of their ailing father.
Additionally, Moretti persuaded his friend Wim Wenders to come to Turin for
a complete retrospective and an onstage conversation and Q&A session.
The late John Cassavetes also will be honored with a retrospective.
The festival announced its jury just a week before the festival was set to
start, featuring several high-visibility figures including directors Aki
Kaurismaki and Andre Techine, and Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, a fixture
in Moretti's films.
So far, the reception among local moviegoers in Turin has been cool, though
festival officials say that will improve. The news agency ADNKronos reported
that online ticket sales have been weak, though festival officials say ticket
sales should pick up once the festival gets underway.
| (c) 2007 The Hollywood Reporter All rights reserved. |
| Volume 77; Number 9 |
| Volume 77; Number 9 |
November 21, 2007
Fabled 25th Turin fest set
to launch
November 10, 2007
Rome fest responds to
Moretti's 'attack'
November 8, 2007
Moretti unveils Turin Film
Festival lineup
Fabled 25th Turin fest set
to launch
November 10, 2007
Rome fest responds to
Moretti's 'attack'
November 8, 2007
Moretti unveils Turin Film
Festival lineup
