Odessa International Film Festival OIFF

The Odessa International Film Festival is just round the corner and will be opening its doors on the 15th July 2011, it  will be running for a full 8 days showing an aray of International Films. Odessa has gone rather unconventional this year where Italy is concerned, Odessa has been kind enough to screen three Italian entries, lets hear it for Odessa” hip hip hurrah”, now how they chose which of the three should be in competition however is a little bit suspect, I am putting it out there that Cetto La Qualunque has put money where his mouth is and demanded a place,  Cetto gets what Cetto wants, no matter what. Yes,  a surprising choise to enter in competition, when you are also screening Habemus Papam, We Have a Pope, I think you will agree.

The three films championed by Odessa are:

Habemus Papam, We Have a Pope  directed by Nanni Moretti

Mine Vaganti, Loose Cannons directed by Ferzan Ozpetek

Qualunquemente, Whatsoeverly directed by Giulio Manfredonia in Competition

Ok, let run with it no matter how extraordinary we might find it, Odessa is a super place for a break so why not take in a film on the way. Keep it elegant folks, elegance is the operative word in Odessa.

Innovative Carlo Verdone and Publicity

Carlo Verdone is busy with his new venture a comedy “Posti In Piedi In Paradiso”, “Standing Room In Paradise” (possible English Title). Comedy is his forte and no one can question his excellent timing, he has been fine tuning it for years. Publicity is everything and Verdone is going flat-out to get this new project noticed, the film is already the talk of the town. The public will be invited to join him and a few chosen cast members Micaela Ramazzotti, Marco Giallini and Pierfrancesco Favino ”live” by satellite for a chat and for the shooting of one of its scenes, I think that is exciting and perhaps a first, at least in Italian Cinema if not the world. When will this be happening ? no specific date as yet, I shall keep them peeled.

 “Posti In Piedi In Paradiso”, “Standing Room In Paradise”   15.06.2011