Andiamo al cinema! Lumiere Cinemas
Let’s go to the cinema! The Italian Film Festival is in town from 3 to 27 September, with a gala opening event to kick things off.
For 11 years, the Italian Film Festival has been showcasing the best of contemporary Italian cinema and timeless masterpieces across New Zealand. This year is no different. The festival brings 27 new films to New Zealand audiences, once again showcasing the richness, diversity, and creative vitality of Italy’s film industry.
Co-founder of the festival Paolo Rotondo says cinema and storytelling has never been more important than in today’s divisive and turbulent times.
“Cinema may be one of the greatest art forms we possess,” Paolo says. “Its ultimate gift is empathy. Through film, we are invited into lives that are not our own – people different from ourselves. It feels deeply necessary today.”
This year’s festival explores contemporary themes such as leadership, porn, and fashion. In The Great Ambition, Italy’s charismatic Communist leader of the 1970s stands up to the Soviet Union. In the glamorous world of Diamonds, we celebrate elegance, craftsmanship and an industry led by women. In Diva Futura, we are taken into the racy world of 1980s Italy and the rise of ‘girl next door’ porn enabled by the video industry.
“Italian cinema has never shied away from life’s mysteries and contradictions,” Paolo says. This year’s Italian Film Festival runs in Christchurch from 3 to 27 September at Lumière Cinemas on Rolleston Avenue. The opening night’s gala will show the movie Somebody To Love. Tickets are on sale now, browse and download the programme at www.italianfilmfestivalnz.com and book tickets at www.lumierecinemas.co.nz.
