Festival With Italian Flair

By Helen Gregory - 9 November 2013

THE NEWCASTLE HERALD 

 

NOVOCASTRIANS will be served a hearty helping of all things Italian, with an upcoming festival celebrating traditional music, food and cinema, including the revered classic La Dolce Vita.

 

Friends Nick Moretti and Dino Cesta established the Italian Film Festival in 2010 as a way to reconnect with the culture of their immigrant parents, who settled in Newcastle and contributed not only to the workforce but to the changing composition of the city after  World WarII. 

 

‘‘We’ve now got first-generation Australians who are moving on and whether or not they’re closely aligned to Italian culture, this is one avenue of reminding people where they come from and not to lose that,’’ Mr Cesta said.

 

‘‘But this festival is not just for the Italian community. although there is a group that come to every movie; it’s for everyone and we get a big cross-section.

 

‘‘We talk about love or music being universal languages, but I think films are as well.’’

 

The three-day festival at Tower Cinemas will open next Friday,  and comprises eight films with English subtitles spanning genres including drama, romance, comedy and thriller.

 

‘‘European films tend to be more human; they’re closer to real life and don’t necessarily have those happy endings,’’ Mr Moretti said.

 

‘‘On the surface, you may see one thing going on,’’ Mr Cesta agreed, ‘‘but underneath there’s the vulnerabilities of life, the passions of life. There’s more going on within each of these characters and within each of these films.’’

 

Italian consul-general Sergio Martes will attend the opening night award-winning film, while earlier in the day Italian students from Hunter School of Performing Arts, Morisset High and Maitland Grossman High will attend a private screening of another film.

 

On Friday and Saturday, guests will be treated to live music as well as Italian food.

 

Last year’s opening-night film, the comedy Welcome to the South (Benvenuti Al Sud) will screen today and tomorrow before its sequel Welcome to the North (Benvenuti Al Nord) is shown as part of the festival next Saturday. See newcastle italianfilmfestival.com.au.

 

WHAT’S SHOWING

 

November 9:

 ■ Welcome To The South (Benvenuti Al Sud), 6.30pm.

 

November 10:

 ■ Welcome To The South (Benvenuti Al Sud), 2pm.

 

November 15:

■  The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza), 7pm.

 

November 16:

■ A Quiet Life (Una Vita Tranquilla), 11.30am.

■  Salvo, 2pm.

 The Ideal City (La Citta Ideale), 4.30pm.

■  Welcome To The North (Benvenuti Al Nord), 7pm.

 

November 17: 

■ The Immature: The Trip (Immaturi, Il Viaggio), 2pm.

■ Long Live Freedom (Viva la Liberta), 4pm.

■ The Sweet Life (La Dolce Vita), 6.45pm.

 

Tickets $15 adults and $13 concession from towercinemas.com.au or 49262233.  

 

Proceeds go to Heal For Life Foundation.

 

Multi film passes are available.