The Italian Film Festival in Madrid, which in terms of audience numbers and press interest is Spain\u2019s most important event for the promotion of Italian film-making, has come to a close. <\/P>
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This year, the Festival\u2019s events were held in the Italian Cultural Institute and in the Spanish capital\u2019s Cinema Verdi. <\/P>
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Over 5000 film-goers attended free screenings of some outstanding examples of the spirit of renewal \u2013 and the robust good health \u2013 that characterise Italian film-making today. The films shown included \u201dCesare deve morire\u201d by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, \u201cLa bella addormentata\u201d by Marco Bellocchio, \u201cIl comandante e la cicogna\u201d by Silvio Soldini, \u201cLa citta’ ideale\u201d by Luigi Lo Cascio, \u201cLa leggenda di Kaspar Hauser\u201d by Davide Manuli, \u201cGli equilibristi\u201d by Ivano De Matteo and \u201cPosti in piedi in Paradiso\u201d by Carlo Verdone.<\/P>
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Distinguished film-makers such as Paolo Taviani, Marco Bellocchio, Silvio Soldini, Luigi Lo Cascio, Ivano De Matteo and Carlo Verdone attended the Festival, along with musicians of the calibre of Gino Paoli and Danilo Rea. Piero Badaloni, journalist and creator of the documentary \u201cMichelangelo e la Sistina. Storia di un capolavoro\u201d, was present. Also attending the Festival was the writer Erri De Luca, who wrote the script for the short \u201cIl turno di notte lo fanno le stelle\u201d, directed by Edoardo Ponti. <\/P>
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Prize for the Taviani brothers<\/STRONG><\/P> 100 years from the birth of Michelangelo Antonioni, the Festival paid homage to the director with screenings of three documentaries (\u201cGente del Po\u201d, \u201cSicilia\u201d e \u201cLo sguardo di Michelangelo\u201d). The Italian Ambassador to Spain, Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, also presented a \u201ccareer\u201d award to Paolo Taviani.<\/P> As is customary, the documentary and \u201cshort\u201d sections took the form of competitions, judged by experts drawn from the Spanish film community. <\/P> The documentary prize went to \u201cTerramatta\u201d by Costanza Quatriglio, while \u201cLa nave dolce\u201d by Daniele Vicari received a special mention. \u201cTerra\u201d, by Piero Messina, won the \u201cshort\u201d prize.<\/P>
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