Monday, October 22-----Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning director of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN will take part in the evening tribute event on Wednesday night at the Rome FilmFest dedicated to Italian director Sergio Leone. The director's latest film, LUST, CAUTION, is currently playing in theaters worldwide. As a member of the Film Foundation, Ang Lee has been designated by Martin Scorsese to introduce the world premiere of the restored version of Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968), featuring an all-star cast that includes Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson and Woody Strode. The restoration is a joint effort between the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Scorsese’s Film Foundation, and Paramount Pictures.

The restoration project was announced in Rome a year ago by Scorsese himself, on the occasion of the RomeFilmFest’s debut, and has led directly to the retrospective of Leone's acclaimed "spaghetti western" epic this year. The newly restored film will be presented in the Sala Petrassi at the Auditorium of the Parco della Musica as part of an evening tribute event dedicated to the famed Italian director, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture and  Leone's own family. Lee will introduce the film, both as a member of the Film Foundation and as an acknowledged fan of the director, who has cited Leone as an influence in his nouveau Western epic BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Lee's in-person introduction will be preceded by a video message recorded by Martin Scorsese especially for the occasion. Hopefully, there will be worldwide interest in re-issuing ONCE UPN A TIME IN THE WEST, allowing the younger generation to discover this cinema landmark.

Sandy Mandelberger, Rome FF Dailies Editor