N.I.C.E, Italians Films Streamed in the U.S. & the World

 

A scene from “Nilde Iotti” starring Anna Foglietta

From Nov. 14 to Nov. 21 in New York, and Nov. 29 to Dec. 6 in Philadelphia, contemporary Italian movies showcased by the 30th edition of N.I.C.E. (New Italian Cinema Events) will be available to stream for free via the platform Eventive.org, as well as piùCampagnia. The edition will be fully online and will stream a total of 11 films and documentaries as well as host webinars. 

N.I.C.E. is a non-profit cultural association founded in 1991 that promotes Italian filmmakers abroad in countries including Russia, France, and the US. Each year the N.I.C.E. City of Florence Award is given to one finalist who is selected by a jury of professionals in the field including Chiara Boschiero, Daniele Ceccarini, Lorenzo Codelli, Beatrice Fiorentino, and Deborah Young. This year’s program aims to showcase how cinema can tell stories of humanity from different perspectives. Artistic Director of N.I.C.E. Viviana Del Bianco believes that the 2020 festival will send a positive signal during a difficult time, reminding the audience that cinema is still possible even during a health emergency. 

The festival will opened on Wednesday, Nov. 18 with the screening of Sole (2019) by Carlo Sironi at 4 pm, put on in collaboration with Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò NYU. The film follows Ermanno and Lena as they navigate raising a baby destined to face hardships. There will also be a webinar with Sironi, NYU Italian Studies Professor David Forgacs, and Casa Italiana Director Stegano Albertini.  Sole will also be available to view on Nov. 19 at 4 pm, this time put on in collaboration with Prince University. Sironi will participate in a second webinar via Zoom with Princeton Italian Studies Professor Anna Cellinese. 

On Friday, Nov. 20 also at 4 pm, the Harlem Maysles Documentary Center will screen Peter Marcias’ documentary film Nilde lotti, il tempo dele donne (2020) which pays homage to the 100th birthday of the first woman president of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies (equivalent to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives). Following the screening will be a virtual conversation with Marcias and executive assistant director Dale Dobson. Saturday, Nov. 21 will mark the closing ceremony of the N.I.C.E. festival in New York, put on in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of New York. The final day will include the virtual streaming of Cinecittà: I mestieri del cinema Bernardo Bertolucci: No End Traveling (2019) by Mario Sesti. The documentary follows the last years of the Italian director and screenwriter’s career. Sesti will also participate in a Zoom webinar. 

The festival will pick up again in Philadelphia beginning on Nov. 29 until Dec. 9. Sironi’s film will also be streamed, in addition to Simple Women (2019) by Chiara Malta, Brave Ragazze (2019) by Michela Andreozzi, Il corpo della sposa (2020) by Michela Occhipinti, Tutto il mio folle amore (2019) by Gabriele Salvatores, Saremo Giovani e bellissimi (2018) by Letizia Lamartire, and Mio fratello rincorre i dinosauri (2019) by Stefano Cipani. The Philadelphia program is curated by Nicola Gentilli, Associate Director of Penn Cinema & Media Studies. The closing ceremony will take place at noon on Dec. 6.  Gentilli will provide closing remarks via Zoom on the festival itself and Italian cinema as a whole. 

To see the entire program and learn more about the films included in this year’s edition, check out their website at nicefestival.org. The organization can be reached at info@nicefestival.org or +39 055 290393.   (elizabeth berry)