All about the 19th edition of the Rome Film Fest
The 19th edition of Festa del Cinema, Rome’s annual famed film festival, kicks off on October 16 until October 27. The main event takes place at Auditorium Parco della Musica, adorned for the occasion with an infinite red carpet, but the Festa also spreads to other evocative locations in the capital, like MAXXI and Casa del Cinema.
Some previews of the 2024 edition of the Rome Film Festival
Marcello Mastroianni is the face of the official image for the 19th edition of the Rome Film Festival. The photo is a tribute to one of the greatest and most beloved actors in Italian and international cinema, marking the centenary of his birth. Mastroianni is depicted on the set of Federico Fellini’s 8½ in one of his most iconic roles, that of Guido Anselmi, a director facing a creative block.
Viggo Mortensen and Johnny Depp will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mortensen will present his new film, The Dead Don’t Hurt, which he wrote, directed, and stars in. The American actor, artist, director, and producer will also lead a Masterclass with the audience at the festival.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, will present Modì – Three Days on the Wings of Madness to the public, his second directorial work, focusing on 72 intense hours in the life of artist Amedeo Modigliani, known as Modì in France.
INSPIRATION
Best Events in Rome this autumn
Locations, programme and awards
The festival will engage the entire city of Rome – as it’s taking place in various locations. As usual, the centrepiece of the event be the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, alongside the MAXXI and the Casa del Cinema. However, this year additional venues will be included, such as the Giulio Cesare Cinema, the Teatro Palladium, the Teatro Olimpico, and the Nuovo Cinema Aquila. Other locations include the St. Regis, Terminal 5 of the Leonardo Da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, the new complex in Rebibbia, the Rebibbia Germana Stefanini Women’s Prison, the Latina Prison, and the Casal del Marmo Juvenile Prison.
The official selection of the Rome Film Festival 2024 consists of the following sections:
- Progressive Cinema Competition – Visions for Tomorrow’s World
An international competition featuring fiction films, documentaries, and animated films. - Freestyle
A non-competitive section showcasing works of free format and style, including series, music videos, films, and video art. - Grand Public
A non-competitive section dedicated to mainstream cinema. - Special Screenings
A non-competitive section. - Best of 2024
A non-competitive section featuring films from other international festivals, considered among the best of the season. - History of Cinema
A non-competitive section focusing on classic films in restored versions, tributes, and a deeper exploration of the history of Italian and international cinema.
Alongside the film program, there will be two sections dedicated to public discussions:
Paso Doble
Two filmmakers discuss themes related to cinema, its stories, and its protagonists.
The first event will feature two extraordinary personalities of Mexican cinema, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. The second Paso Doble will take place during the screening of Stop Making Sense – 40th Anniversary, the iconic concert film by Oscar®-winning director Jonathan Demme. The Rome Film Fest will present the new 4K edition, with a discussion featuring James Mockoski from American Zoetrope and Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison. The Paso Doble program will conclude with a meeting featuring Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo.
Absolute Beginners
The section where a renowned author recalls the story of their film debut will feature, in 2024, a meeting with Saverio Costanzo. The Roman director and screenwriter, one of the most important and original filmmakers in contemporary Italian cinema, will be attending the festival with Private (2004).
The Masterclasses
Viggo Mortensen will lead a masterclass with the audience during the premiere of his new film, The Dead Don’t Hurt, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Throughout the Masterclass, Viggo Mortensen will revisit his extraordinary artistic journey spanning forty years of remarkable performances.
The Masterclass program will continue with Dennis Lehane, one of the most beloved international authors. Lehane’s bestsellers have been adapted into highly successful films, including Mystic River (brought to the screen by Clint Eastwood), Shutter Island (adapted by Martin Scorsese), Gone Baby Gone, and Live by Night, both directed by Ben Affleck.
The third Masterclass will feature Chiara Mastroianni, attending the Rome Film Fest to honor the centenary of her father, Marcello Mastroianni.
The Jury and Awards of the Rome Film Festival
A jury, composed of professionals from the worlds of cinema, culture, and the arts (to be announced later), will present the following awards for the Progressive Cinema Competition:
- Best Film
- Grand Jury Prize
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Monica Vitti Award for Best Actress
- Vittorio Gassman Award for Best Actor
- Special Jury Prize, awarded in one of the following categories: cinematography, editing, original score.
The festival will also present the cross-category Best First Feature Award, selected by a separate jury from titles in the Progressive Cinema, Freestyle, and Grand Public sections.
As always, the audience will play a key role in the festival, awarding the FS Audience Award, chosen from the films in the Progressive Cinema Competition.
READ THE PROGRAM OF THE 2024 ROME FILM FEST
Opening Film
The pre-opening event of the Rome Film Festival and Alice nella Città 2024 will take place on Monday, October 14, at the iconic Cinecittà Studios, hosting the Italian premiere of Megalopolis, the latest work from legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, known for masterpieces such as The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film will be released in theaters on October 16. On Tuesday, October 15, Coppola will meet with the Alice nella Città juries, film school students, and the public at the Sala Sinopoli in the Auditorium Parco della Musica. During this event, organized by Alice nella Città in collaboration with the Rome Film Festival, Coppola will reflect on his over sixty-year career that has established him as one of cinema’s greatest masters.
Official Selection
18 are the films competing this year, under the Progressive Cinema – Visioni per il Mondo di Domani section. They are:
100 LITRES OF GOLD
by Teemu Nikki, Finland, Italy, 2024, 88’ | World Premiere |
L’ALBERO
by Sara Petraglia, Italy, 2024, 92’ | Debut film | World Premiere |
L’ART D’ÊTRE HEUREUX
by Stefan Liberski, Belgium, France, 2024, 109’
BERLINGUER. LA GRANDE AMBIZIONE
by Andrea Segre, Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, 2024, 122’ | World Premiere |
BRING THEM DOWN
by Christopher Andrews, Ireland, UK, Belgium, 2024, 105’ | Debut film |
LE CHOIX
by Gilles Bourdos, France, 2023, 77’ | World Premiere |
ES GEHT UM LUIS (ABOUT LUIS) | Debut film |
by Lucia Chiarla, Germany, 2024, 97’
GREEDY PEOPLE
by Potsy Ponciroli, United States, 2024, 115’
L’ISOLA DEGLI IDEALISTI
by Elisabetta Sgarbi, Italy, 2024, 114’ | World Premiere |
JAZZY
by Morissa Maltz, United States, 2024, 86’
KUN BANG SHANG TIAN TANG (BOUND IN HEAVEN)
by Huo Xin, China, 2024, 109’ | Debut film |
READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN (LEGGERE LOLITA A TEHERAN)
by Eran Riklis, Italy, Israel, 2024, 108’ | World Premiere |
LA NUIT SE TRAÎNE
by Michiel Blanchart, Belgium, France, 2024, 91’ | Debut film |
POLVO SERÁN
by Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, 2024, 106’
QUERIDO TRÓPICO
by Ana Endara, Panama, Colombia, 2024, 108’ | Debut film |
SPIRIT WORLD
by Eric Khoo, France, Japan, Singapore, 2024, 105’
PARADISO IN VENDITA
by Luca Barbareschi, Italy, France, 2024, 107’ | World Premiere |
THE TRAINER
by Tony Kaye, United States, 2024, 95’ | World Premiere |
…. And this is only one of the many pieces of the puzzle. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the sections in the programme and take your picks… beware, tickets sell fast!
19th Rome Film Festival
From October 16 – October 27 (2024 edition)
Main Venue
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30
Tickets
Entry fee: €6-25
Other Venues
MAXXI
Via Guido Reni 4/A
Casa Del Cinema
Largo Marcello Mastroianni 1
Cinema Atlantic
Via Tuscolana 745
Cinema Giulio Cesare
Viale Giulio Cesare 229
Teatro Palladium
Piazza Bartolomeo Romano 8
Nuovo Cinema Aquila
Via L’Aquila 66/74
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