It looks like I’m going to be spending a lot of money on ibs.it this year…
Medusa Films, Italy’s leading producer-distributor says that In 2010, almost 49% of the market share came from Italian films, so the 2011/2012 lineup will be “lots of Italian films, lots of comedies”. I really hate saying “I told you so”, but didn’t I tell you so?
When If first started going to Italy, I was lucky to find a couple of home-grown Italian films in the theaters, but as the years passed I noticed an increase, not just in the number of films but in the numbers of theater goers. Many Italians used to favor Hollywood films, but I think they are starting to see what they’ve got right under their own noses – a whole lot of domestic talent.
Ricky Tognazzi , who directed last year’s Il Padre e Lo Straniero will kick it off with Tutta Colpa Della Musica (“Blame It All On Music”, to be released in September and ready for the Venice Film Festival), along with Francesco Patierno’s Cose Dell’Altro Mondo (“Things From The Other World”), to be released on September 3, starring Diego Abatantuono. Also in September, Medusa will release Paolo Costella’s Baciato Dalla Fortuna (“Kissed By Fortune”, release date: September 30), featuring Vincenzo Salemme.
People (including me) can’t wait for Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place, out in October – it got a lot of attention at Cannes – and November will see the release of Pupi Avati’s latest film, Il Cuore Grande Delle Ragazze (“Girls’ Big Hearts”), starring Micaela Ramazzotti (Tutta La Vita Davanti), and the new film by the comedy team Ficarra and Picone (Femmine Contro Maschi).
2011 will close with Leonardo Pieraccioni’s Finalmente la Felicità (“Happiness At Last”), and in 2012 – two sequels – Paolo Genovese’s Immaturi, Il Viaggio (“Immature: The Journey”) and Luca Miniero’s Benvenuti al Nord – Welcome to the North, the sequel to Benvenuti al Sud with Claudio Bisio.
Medusa also has a couple of Italian 3D projects coming up: Fausto Brizzi’s Come È Bello Far l’Amore (“How Nice It Is To Make Love”, currently shooting, to be released on February 10) and Bernardo Bertolucci’s new film, based on Niccolò Ammaniti’s book ”Me and You” (still to be filmed).
I Love Italian Everything 