Festival delle Cerase in Palombara, Sabina is off and on the run

The Smallest Film Festival in the World, Festival delle Cerase, The Cherry Festival is up and running, hopefully not for the last time, the publicity created by Giovanni Veronese should be enough to save it from closure, crossing everything. The Festival has kicked off to a flying start, the first prize  for best actor is going to my favorite Giuseppe Battiston for his role in “Senza arte ne Parte” “Make a Fake” directed by Giovanni Albernese. Battiston will receive “Le ciliegie d’oro del Cinema Italiano” ” The Golden Cherry of Italian Cinema”, when meeting the public and the Jury after the screening of the film on the 9th of June 2011. Battiston will not get of lightly once this honour has been bestown him, he must cook a special dinner for the Public, I can only assume there will be a lot of Cerase and Olives used for this meal although not in the same dish. I think Hollywood should follow suit, this would be a wonderful idea after the Oscar Ceremony, get the winners to cook a meal as a thank you, I like it.

The Cerase Film Festival, Palombara is now an endangered spices.  10th May 2011

The Cerase Film Festival, Palombara is now an endangered spices.

Last night (08.05.11) at a meeting in Palombara, Sabina Italian film director Giovanni Veronesi was up in arms to the extent that he was willing to put his money where his mouth is. The Cerase Film Festival the  smallest in the world has run out of money and is left with little hope of surviving, Veronesi wants the “Industry” to close ranks and help out. The Festival has found it increasingly difficult to survive due to the 2 multiplexes that were build less than 10 KM away, taxes have increased drastically, the economic crisis has not helped and Italy as we all know is plagued by piracy, it is for all these reasons becoming increasing difficult for the small 1 room cinema to survive. The 26 year old Cerase Film Festival was described by Veronesi as a piece of Italian cinema and culture, it is a historic cinema that must be saved.

The owner of  Cinema Teatro di Palombara Sabina Silvio Luttazi was seen openly to well up in tears of emotions over the support and speeches held last night, always nice to see some feelings from the heart, it is cinema after all. Although the Festival is the smallest in the world it has no problems attracting big names from the Italian film industry to its screenings every year, holding Q & A’s after each film in return for very little, a prize and some local olive oil and although I am not sure…… I would imagine some cherry flavored delicacy to. It is a festival very much-loved by the actors, screenwriters and directors alike for its simplicity and great love of the screen.

Let us hope the Industry rally round with some dosh and give this Festival a helping hand or June 2011 will see the last festival of its kind, I can assure you that the flood gates will opened when the final curtain falls, we don’t want that now …..do we?

This is not a travel blog, however Palombara is a lovely little hill-top town not far from the overpriced Tivoli so if you are around in June 2011, why not stay in Palombara and take in a film on the way, I spent a couple of months there many years ago, great walks, great food and their wine is very drinkable too.