Johannesburg Italian Film Fest welcomes acclaimed director Andrea Magnani
ROSEBANK – Movie lovers can enjoy a selection of Italian comedies for free on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Film fanatics are in for a treat as the fifth annual Johannesburg Italian Film Festival (Jiff) comes to Rosebank Cinema Nouveau from 8 to 10 November.
Thanks to assistance from the Consulate General of Italy in Johannesburg and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Pretoria, Jiff will be flying out acclaimed Italian director Andrea Magnani to open the festival.
Magnani’s most recent film, Easy (Un Viaggio facile) received various nominations at the 2018 Venice Film Festival.
Curator of Jiff Claudio Coci said, “Our theme for this year’s Jiff is ‘next generation Italian cinema’, and as such we will be screening recent comedies by exciting new talent.”
The film Easy will be screened at the opening evening of Jiff where Magnani will answer questions from the audience and again the public over the weekend.
Magnani said it would be his first visit to South Africa. “My film Easy is the story of an uphill journey through an unknown world. So, as in my movie, I’m ready to be conquered by this place I have always dreamt of but never reached. And I will do it thanks to Jiff.”
Coci explained that Italian cinema is one of the oldest and most influential in the world. “It is over 100 years old and has been pivotal in creating narratives of all genre… To this day, Italian cinema is the most decorated outside the US, evident by the fact that the country has won more academy awards than any other nation for the best film category,” said Coci.
“It is this illustrious history that motivated me to create an event to showcase this to the South African public. A lot of people will not be aware that many American films either were remakes of original Italian versions – or in fact were made in Italy themselves.”
“My vision to host the festival was to allow a space where we could share those great cinematic moments on the big screen to as many people as possible who may have never had the opportunity before.”
Entry is free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Films will be screened in Italian with English subtitles. For more information on showtimes and movie options, visit www.jiffestival.com
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