New Italian Cinema Sf

Welcome letter

Andiamo al cinema! Join us in celebrating Italian cinema at the Vogue Theatre in San Francisco, Wednesday-Sunday, November 16-20, 2016.

New Italian Cinema, now in its 20th season, is a dynamic film festival that showcases new Italian films from young emerging filmmakers and seasoned masters alike. The festival is co-presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco and New Italian Cinema Events (N.I.C.E.) of Florence, and continues to be the San Francisco event that best portrays contemporary Italian culture.

Italy—whose neorealist directors remain universally beloved by filmmakers and cinephiles everywhere, and whose Cinecittà studios gave birth to unforgettable cinema— continues to produce world-class films. Italian films have won more Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film than any other country, and the country's directors and actors continue to make us laugh with their outrageous comedy. They also make us think and move us, with films that confront complex issues: immigration, the reality of women’s lives, and the role of organized crime in the country’s collective imagination.

We invite you to discover seven up-and-coming directors whose dramatic features are competing for the City of Florence Award. The award honoring the first or second feature by an Italian director is decided by audience ballot, and will be announced in a presentation on Closing Night, Sunday, November 20. In addition to the seven features in competition, New Italian Cinema showcases five dramatic films by veteran Italian directors as part of the Special Screenings presentations. This year, we will also open a window on Italian documentaries in collaboration with the Festival dei Popoli, Italy’s most prestigious documentary film festival by screening three award-winning documentaries. Guests expected at the festival include Francesco Calogero, director of the Opening Night Film The Second Spring; Georgia Cecere, director of Somewhere Amazing; and Valerio Ciriaci, director of If Only I Were That Warrior. Please check the website, newitaliancinema.org, for updates on special guests attending the festival.

For five days and nights, we are delighted to bring Italy to San Francisco and—through the magic of cinema—to bring San Franciscans to Italy. Benvenuti al festival!

Viviana del Bianco Paolo Barlera Nancy Fishman
Director, N.I.C.E Director, Italian Cultural Institute Festival Manager