March 26, 2010
Contact:
Elizabeth Klipp, 404-413-1356
University Relations
ATLANTA - Georgia State University will host the 4th annual Italian Film Festival on campus March 29 through April 4, featuring films, documentaries and shorts that are free and open to the public.
Sponsored by GSU's Center for the Collaborative and International Arts, the festival includes eight new Italian features films unreleased in the United States that will be screened at the Rialto Center for the Arts, located at 80 Forsyth St. NW.
The festival will open with "Italians," a comedy drama with two episodes, the first about an unlikely friendship between two car thieves and the second focusing on a recently divorced dentist on the rebound at a conference in Russia. "Italians" will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on March 29 and April 2.
Winner of the "People's Choice Award" for best film at the 2009 Miami Italian Film Festival, "Cemento Armato" (Concrete Romance), will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on March 30. The film tells the story of a careless teenager on a stolen scooter who crosses paths with a Mafia boss and a blood bath ensues.
Showing at 7:30 p.m. on March 31, the drama, "Alza la Testa," (Raise Your Head), portrays a shipyard worker and single father trying to teach his son how to be become a successful boxer, his own failed dream. The father-son relationship is turned upside down when the boy's mother unexpectedly shows up.
Other feature films in the series include the highly acclaimed drama "Il Papa 'di Giovanna" (Givanna's Father) at 7:30 p.m. on April 1; "Mar Neo" (Black Sea) at 6 p.m. and "Il Compleanno" (David's Birthday) 8 p.m. on April 3, followed by a cocktail reception at the Glenn Hotel, located at 110 Marietta St.
The festival will end on April 4 with the 6 p.m. showing of the "Sbirri" (The Cop) followed by "la Casa sulle Nuvole" (The House in the Clouds) at 8 p.m.
In addition to the feature films, the festival will highlight a series of Italian documentaries and shorts at Georgia State's Cinefest Theater, located in the University Center, 66 Courtland St. NE, suite 240. A selection of the best and most recent Italian documentaries will be shown at 3 p.m. on March 30 and March 31.
Also, the award-winning series of short films, "Life is Too Short," will be screened at 3 p.m. on March 29. It includes titles such as "Sotto il mio Giardino," "Maradona Baby," "Ill Diavolo," and "Francois," the winner of the "Best Short Award" from the 2009 Miami Italian Film Festival
No tickets are necessary for any of the films. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. All films are in Italian with English subtitles. For more information, please visit www.cinemaitaly.com.