Welcome!
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It gives me great pleasure to present the
Lavazza Italian Film Festival, now in its 9th
exciting year.
It has been a busy year on the festival
circuit and one of the best years for Italian
film that I can remember. From the vibrant
Rome International Film Festival to the
more established events such as the
prestigious Berlinale and the world-famous
Cannes Film Festival, I have selected the
best contemporary Italian Films as well as
a selection of Italian Classics from the
archives of the Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
The Opening Night Selection, Her Whole
Life Ahead (Tutta La Vita Davanti) is a
comedy I’m sure will delight; Il Divo, by
Cannes favourite Paolo Sorrentino, took
home the Jury Prize this year in Cannes
and is a must-see film; also direct from
Cannes is Francesco Munzi’s The Rest of
the Night (Il Resto Della Notte) a biting
snapshot of
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Italian middle-class wealth and
immigrant violence; and patrons that loved
Silvio Soldini’s audience favourite Bread
and Tulips (Pane e Tulipani) from IFF2000
shouldn’t miss Soldini’s new film Days and
Clouds (Giorni e Nuvole).
The line-up for this year’s festival is the
best yet, reflecting the widely-reported
resurgence of Italian cinema. Please join
me at the cinemas to indulge in other
Italian experiences: Aperitivi presented
by Peroni, Lavazza coffee or a glass of
fine wine before or after your film!
Buon divertimento e Viva il Cinema Italiano!
Cav. Antonio Zeccola
Managing Director
Palace Films and Palace Cinemas
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What is more quintessentially Italian than
great cinema? It’s one of many wonderful
gifts Italy has shared with the world. Once
again, Lavazza is proud to be a major sponsor
of this year’s feast of truly wonderful films
that capture the Italian soul.
In 1895, when Italian cinema was just
beginning to flourish, Luigi Lavazza began
roasting coffee.
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Four generations later, the
same passion and expertise continues with
this now global family business; matching the
awareness and growth of Italian cinema. Two
wonderful gifts of Italy – coffee and cinema;
we hope you enjoy both!
John Russell Storey
Lavazza
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It is my great pleasure to welcome also
this year the Italian Film Festival, organized
with passion by Palace Cinemas in all the
major cities of Australia.
Both as Ambassador of Italy and a keen
cinema-goer, I am particularly fond of this
yearly event, that has been growing during
the years and has become one of the most
important cultural events on Italy in this
country.
Cinema has always been an immediate
window for people to access the language,
culture and traditions of distant land.
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And this is all the more important as more than
900,000 Australian can claim an Italian
background. The Festival connects for
several weeks these two parts of Italy at
the opposite ends of the world.
I invite you to participate in the 2008
Lavazza Italian Film Festival, sharing the
passion, energy and colour of Italy on the
big screen.
Stefano Starace Janfolla
Ambassador of Italy - Italian Embassy of Australia
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