I went to a very special presentation at the Italian Cultural Institute in Westwood of this very touching film which was based on the real life of Rita Mancuso (Veronica D’Agostino) and director Marco Amenta’s documentary , “One Girl Against the Mafia: Diary of a Sicilian Rebel”. Being a dad myself I could feel the inner conflict that this young girl would suffer when she loses her dad and also has to face the reality of who he really was. Dads love their daughters and always want to ...

A Daughter’s Love of her Father in The Sicilian Girl I went to a veryspecial presentation  at the ItalianCultural Institute  in Westwood of thisvery touching film which was based on the  real life of  RitaMancuso (Veronica D’Agostino) and director Marco Amenta’s documentary , “One Girl Against theMafia: Diary of a Sicilian Rebel”. Being a dad myself I could feelthe inner conflict that this young girl would suffer when she loses her dad andalso has to face the reality of who he ...

Next week The Sicilian Girl (2009) by director Marco Amenta starring Veronica D'Agostino and Gerard Jugnot will open in theaters in the U.S. The Sicilian Girl is a based on the true story of Rita Atria, a teenaged girl born into the Cosa Nostra who rebelled against the mafia as a witness in Italian courts to avange her father's death. It is a riveting dramatic thriller that has received international acclaim. I saw The Sicilian Girl in Palm Springs, California when Amenta screened h...

The 33rd Portland International Film Festival announces the Oregonian Audience Award winners. This year's Festival wrapped up its 18 day run Sunday, February 28th after 195 total screenings at multiple theater locations in the downtown cultural district of Portland. This year's Festival was attended by over 30,000 attendees and included 77 features and 39 shorts from over 40 countries.   Audience winners include Best Narrative Feature THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Sweden) and...

by Marla Lewin   Marla Lewin with Giuseppe Tornatore                                     photo by Marc Halperin The Italian film commission, brought together filmmakers from around the world for a party at the American Film Market in Santa Monica. The Department of Cinema of the Italian ministry of culture, the Italian consulate, and the Los Angeles Italian Cultural Institute along with friends and guests applauded legendary director, Giuseppe Tornatore winner of the Acad...

FESTIVAL DO RIO 2009 : 24 September to 8 October, 2009 Across 15 days, commencing September 24, the city of Rio de Janeiro once again becomes the official capital of cinema. Festival do Rio, the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival, will present more than 300 films from more than 60 countries, shown in around 40 locations, distributed between cinemas and sites around Rio.  This year's programme will include for the first time public events staged in 10 of the city's squares. Festival do...

Maremetraggio is ready to celebrate its first ten years of life with a special program for the 2009 edition. It will be a gold edition, as the colour we have chosen for the festival catalogue of this year, with many meetings and novelties. For nine days, from June 26th to July 4th , in Trieste, screenings, conferences and meetings with actors and directors will alternate to offer to the festival audience a total immersion in the world of cinema. To have an idea of how this festival will be, you ...