Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2018
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. This year’s 18th edition again strikes a balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, commercial and independent fare, outrageous comedies, gripping dramas, and captivating documentaries, with in-person appearances by many of the filmmakers. This year, we are also pleased to present special screenings of both classic and new works by legendary filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Vittorio sadly passed away this April at age 88), as well as a new digital restoration of a signature work from iconoclast Marco Ferreri, alongside a new documentary about this important provocateur.
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. Organized by Dennis Lim and Dan Sullivan, Film Society; and by Carla Cattani, Griselda Guerrasio, and Monique Catalino, Istituto Luce Cinecittà. Special thanks to: Italian Trade Commission; Italian Cultural Institute New York; Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò—NYU; Antonio Monda.
Sicilian Ghost Story
Opening Night · Q&A with Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, Vincenzo Amato & Filippo Luna at the 6:00pm screening
One day after school, 12-year-old Luna (Julia Jedlikowska) follows her classmate crush Giuseppe (Gaetano Fernandez) into a possibly enchanted forest, from which he seems to vanish. Based on true events, the film renders Luna’s quest for the truth as a transfixing blend of realism and mythology. A Strand Releasing release.
The Ape Woman
Introduction by Anselma Dell'Olio
One of Ferreri’s earliest and most beloved films, this typically irreverent, freewheeling satire tells the story of an ex-nun (Annie Girardot) put on the freak show circuit by her sleazy entrepreneur husband (Ugo Tognazzi) for her distinctively furry appearance.
Beautiful Things
Q&A with Giorgio Ferrero
Four men work in isolation at remote scientific and industrial sites around the world in Giorgio Ferrero's ravishingly beautiful debut documentary feature, a transfixing work about the origins of consumer society imbued with a musical sense of rhythm.
Boys Cry
Q&A with Damiano & Fabio D'Innocenzo on June 3
The D’Innocenzo brothers reinvigorate the gangster genre with their gritty, surprising debut feature about two best friends who find themselves working as lackeys for a local crime syndicate.
Crater
Q&A with Silvia Luzi & Luca Bellino on June 2
Documentarians Luzi and Bellino’s fiction debut stars Rosario and Sharon Caroccia (playing versions of themselves) in a tale of helicopter-parenting that consciously recalls Luchino Visconti’s Bellissima.
Diva!
Q&A with Francesco Patierno on June 1
An inventive, kaleidoscopic work of cinematic biography, Diva! tells the story of the Oscar-nominated Italian actress Valentina Cortese, played by eight different actresses embodying her at various points of her remarkable career.
Equilibrium
Q&A with Vincenzo Marra on June 3
A priest (Mimmo Borelli) transfers to the north of Naples and finds himself in conflict with the Camorra in this scrappy, moving drama about the antagonism between religious belief and the modern world.
Fortunata
Look Up
Marco Ferreri: Dangerous but Necessary
Q&A with Anselma Dell'Olio
This complex, multilayered portrait of the Italian filmmaker features interviews with the likes of Isabelle Huppert, Roberto Benigni, and Hanna Schygulla to give the underappreciated iconoclast his due.
Naples in Veils
Q&A with Ferzan Ozpetek
A medical examiner’s new lover abruptly disappears in this moody, baroque thriller from Turkish director Ozpetek, which recasts Naples as a shadowy, mysterious labyrinth of desire and memory.
The Night of the Shooting Stars
Nome di donna
Q&A with Marco Tullio Giordana on June 2
A woman courageously tries to break the silence in a culture of complicity surrounding sexual harassment in this all-too-timely film from Open Roads veteran Marco Tullio Giordana.
The Place
Q&A with Paolo Genovese at the 9pm screening
An enigmatic, nameless man sits in the corner of a bar, receiving visitor after visitor. They tell him of their profoundest wishes and desires, and he assures them they can have exactly what they want . . . but there will be a price. This gripping, minimalist moral thriller boasts an all-star cast.
Pure Hearts
Q&A with Roberto De Paolis on June 1
An impeccably acted drama about youthful self-discovery, De Paolis’s feature debut—concerning a teenage girl’s burgeoning relationship with a young parking lot attendant— is a fresh take on the “opposites attract” tale, set on the outskirts of Rome.
Rainbow: A Private Affair
Stories of Love That Cannot Belong to This World
Q&A with Lucia Mascino on June 2
Comencini adapts her own novel in this intelligent, intensely felt romantic comedy about two academics whose seven-year romance has reached an impasse, and neither of them understands why.Tickets are now on sale! To begin the purchase process, log in to your account. Don’t have an account? Sign up for one today.
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Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2021
Tickets are now on sale! Now playing nationwide through June 6. Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the leading screening series to offer US audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. This year’s… Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2019
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2018
This year’s 18th edition again strikes a balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, commercial and independent fare, outrageous comedies, gripping dramas, and captivating documentaries, with in-person appearances by many of the filmmakers. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2017
New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2016
For 16 years, Open Roads has proudly offered North American audiences the most diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian film available. The 2016 edition strikes a satisfying balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, showcasing a medley of commercial and independent fare. Experience the best of Italian cinema, with special in-person appearances by many of the filmmakers. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2015
For 14 years, Open Roads has proudly offered to North American audiences the most diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian film available. This year’s program strikes a satisfying balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, showcasing a medley of commercial and independent fare. Experience the best of Italian cinema, with special in-person appearances by many of the filmmakers. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2014
One of our most popular annual programs, Open Roads has served as the leading North American showcase of contemporary Italian cinema for the past 13 years. This exceptionally strong and diverse edition includes the latest work from established veterans alongside promising new talents from both the commercial and independent spheres. Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2013
Open Roads has become the leading North American showcase for contemporary Italian cinema, as well as one of our most popular programs. Established filmmakers premiere new works alongside discoveries from fresh and emerging talent, with in-person appearacnes at almost every screening. So join us once again in welcoming back an old friend: Italian cinema! Read More
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2012
North America’s leading showcase for contemporary Italian cinema returns with an eclectic slate of regional dramas, sophisticated social comedies, and edgy genre films that represent the work of cinematic masters as well as emerging talents. Read More
