Screenings – TCL CHINESE THEATRES

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

10:45 am REMEMBERING MARCELLO MASTROIANNI – Special Screening

Fellini’s 8 ½  (138’) dir. Federico Fellini
Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life, as he struggles against the creative block and helplessly juggles the women in his life—including Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, and Claudia Cardinale. An early working title for 8½ was The Beautiful Confusion, and Fellini’s masterpiece is exactly that: a shimmering dream, a circus, and a magic act.

1:30 pm HONORING THE ITALIAN MASTERS by Intesa Sanpaolo – US Premiere

The Order Of Time (112’) dir. Liliana Cavani
A group of longtime friends gather every year at a seaside villa to celebrate one of their birthdays. Vague and uncertain news about a possible end of the world interrupts the celebration.

To follow ACCORDING TO FRANCO NERO – Special Screening

Nil Difficile Volenti (18’) dir. Fabio D’Avino
’Nihil difficile volenti’ is a Latin motto, which means ‘nothing is difficult for who really wants it’ and a young actor suddenly is taught this great concept of life by his idol, the great Maestro, portrayed by Franco Nero, of which he becomes the prompter for a theatrical representation of a Pirandello’s play. We see this young actor trying to convince the director, the assistant, the first actress and, mainly, and it’s the hardest challenge of all, the Maestro that he is the one for him!

4:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

A Hundred Sundays (94’) dir. Antonio Albanese
Antonio works in a shipyard and leads a quiet life, taking care of his elderly mother. When his daughter Emilia decides to get married, Antonio can’t wait to fulfill his dream of buying her a lush wedding reception with the money he has been saving all his life. However, due to a problem with his bank, he seems to be unable to use his own money. Soon he realizes – at his own expense – that those who keep our money do not necessarily protect it.

6:00 pm ACCORDING TO FRANCO NERO – World Premiere

Money, Money, Money (10’) dir. Riccardo Gelsumino
The winter sea is bleak characterized by a perpetual repetition and disturbing silence. An old man every day goes down to the beach with his metal detector in search of objects and valuables. He meets a fisherman who is always in the same position on the seashore waiting for some fish to bite. The routine is broken by the discovery of a bag full of money. A constant search on the part of the protagonist contrasted by the fisherman’s wait centers on a reflection on the usefulness of money, greed, and a stifling routine.

The director and the actor Franco Nero will introduce the movie.

To follow HONORING ITALIAN MASTERS by Intesa Sanpaolo – World Premiere

Ninetta’s Story (80’) dir. Lina Sastri
An old woman affected by Alzheimer’s disease, in her home. She reveals her thoughts about love, violence, family, pain, joy, and Naples, a city shrouded in mystery and magic, suspended between reality and imagination, present and past. This women’s story, told by women, marks Lina Sastri’s directorial debut as well as the big screen comeback of a prominent figure in the Italian entertainment industry: Angela Pagano.

 

The director will introduce the movie.

7:30 pm OPENING CEREMONY

8:30 pm LA, ITALIA ON STAGE – US Premiere 

Zucchero – Sugar Fornaciari (101’) dir. Valentina Zanella e Giangiacomo De Stefano
The documentary features a surprising and emotional stream of consciousness by the artist who delves into his private and professional life, exposing his most intimate memories, childhood and adult life experiences including his divorce and the struggle to overcome depression at a time when he was finally becoming successful.

10:30 pm LA, ITALIA ON STAGE – Special Screening

Sabato, domenica e lunedì (101’) dir. Edoardo De Angelis
Based on the comedy by Eduardo De Filippo. Like every Saturday, Rosa Priore is preparing the meat sauce for Sunday. Her husband Peppino walks nervously around the kitchen, quarreling with her over every little thing. The reason he is so nervous becomes clear the next day when the entire Priore family is gathered before the meat sauce. Rosa is wearing a blue scarf that was given to her by their next-door neighbor, the very thoughtful accountant Ianniello.

MONDAY, MARCH 4

12:15 pm REMEMBERING MARCELLO MASTROIANNI – Special Screening

Divorce Italian Style (104’) dir. Pietro Germi
Ferdinando Cefalù is desperate to marry his cousin Angela, but he is married to Rosalia and divorce is illegal in Italy. To get around the law, he tries to trick his wife into having an affair so he can catch her and murder her, as he knows he would be given a light sentence for killing an adulterous woman. He persuades a painter to lure his wife into an affair, but Rosalia proves to be more faithful than he expected.

2:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere 

My Summer With The Shark (104’) dir. Davide Gentile
The school is over. Walter, a 13-year-old boy, has just lost his father. As he wanders along the Roman coast, a fascinating and mysterious place attracts his attention: an unattended villa overlooking a big, murky, swimming pool. The villa, however, seems to be unguarded and Walter is thus prompted to begin an unforgettable journey.

5:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – Special Screening

Sweetwater (118’) dir. Martin Guigui
In 1949, Abe Saperstein, who owned and coached the Harlem Globetrotters, organized an exhibition game in New York City against the NBA champions, the Minneapolis Lakers. The game was witnessed by Ned Irish, owner of the New York Knicks, and his coach, Joe Lapchick. The Lakers were outplayed by the talented and inventive Black Globetrotters, with Sweetwater Clifton impressing the crowd with his graceful athleticism. Lapchick and Irish took the lead in advocating for the integration of the team, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff.

The director, the cinematographer and part of the cast will introduce the movie

7:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – World Premiere

The Italians (103’) dir. Michelle Danner
In a quiet LA suburb, fiery matriarch Angelina Maria Russo diligently prepares tonight’s feast of a dinner, with no help from her oaf-ish husband Vincenzo. Their charming 30-year-old son Nico is coming over tonight to introduce them to his new girlfriend Lily, whom Angelina seems determined to despise. Wanting nothing more than for Nico to settle down with a nice Italian girl who goes to mass on Sundays, will give her beautiful grandchildren, and loves her cooking – especially the meatballs – Lily is distinctly NOT Italian, an atheist, not sold on having kids anytime soon and doesn’t eat meat.  

The director and part of the cast will introduce the movie.

10:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – US Premiere

Double Soul (98’) dir. Valerio Esposito
Anna and Luna, identical twins in terms of their looks, but opposite in their souls, live two opposite lives: one in the ruthless world of high finance and the other in the dreamlike universe of art. The affirmation of identity, the relationship between sisters and the risks people are willing to take to obtain what they want. A double feminine point of view, irreverent and at times shameless. The story unfolds between Italy and the Middle East, connected by the ambition of the protagonists.

 

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

10:30 am REMEMBERING MARCELLO MASTROIANNI – Special Screening

A Special Day (107′) dir. Ettore Scola
The film takes place entirely in a working-class apartment building, where an unexpected friendship blossoms between a pair of people who haven’t joined the festivities: a conservative housewife and mother tending to her domestic duties and a liberal radio broadcaster awaiting deportation. Scola paints an exquisite portrait in muted tones, a story of two individuals helpless in the face of Fascism’s rise.

12:30 pm HONORING THE ITALIAN MASTERS by Intesa Sanpaolo – Special Screening

Casanova’s Return (90’) dir. Gabriele Salvatores
Leo Bernardi is a successful and acclaimed Italian director. He’s approaching the end of his career but he cannot accept his slow decline. He has just finished shooting his last movie and he’s deeply sad. The movie is inspired by the novel about Casanova written by Arthur Schnitzler, a character so similar to the director, even more than he could imagine. Schnitzler’s Casanova is aged, glory days are over: he lost his charm and his attraction to women, he’s broke and no more eager to travel through Europe.

2:30 pm CELEBRATING DIRECTOR MATTEO GARRONE – Special Screening

 

Dogman (103’) dir. Matteo Garrone
Two old friends. Lucio is meek and mild, a simple man who owns a dog parlor and dotes on his young daughter. Simoncino is an unhinged boxer, a bully fresh out of prison and looking for danger. Bound by loyalty, Lucio goes along with Simoncino’s wild plans, becoming his sidekick in a spate of drug-fuelled robberies that terrorize their small town. Controlled by the charismatic Simoncino, Lucio betrays his community. When things spiral out of control, he incriminates himself to take the rap for Simoncino and is jailed for a year away from his daughter.

4:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – US Premiere

The Island (93’) dir. Shaun Paul Piccinino
When his brother is killed, LAPD officer Mark leaves the city to return to the island he grew up on. Seeking answers and ultimately vengeance, he soon finds himself in a bloody battle with the corrupt tycoon who’s taken over the island paradise.

The actor Edoardo Costa will introduce the movie.

6:30 pm DOCU IS WORTH –     US Premiere

Enigma Rol (94’) dir. Selma Dell’Olio
The documentary reconstructs the life of the famous psychic Gustavo Rol, through the testimonies of those who knew him and witnessed his experiments, but also through the words of those who always doubted him and refused to believe in his inexplicable and astonishing gifts.

The producer will introduce the movie.

8:20 pm HONORING THE ITALIAN MASTERS by Intesa Sanpaolo – US Premiere

Kidnapped (125′) dir. Marco Bellocchio
In 1858, in Bologna’s Jewish quarter, the Pope’s soldiers stormed into the house of the Mortara family. On the Cardinal’s order, they must take the family’s seven-year-old Edgardo, because, according to a maid for the family, the child had been secretly baptized when he was six months old. The Papal law is unappealable: the child must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo’s parents, after the shock wears off, try everything they can think of to get their son back.

10:30 pm MEET…EDOARDO DE ANGELIS – Special Screening 

Perez. (90’) dir. Edoardo De Angelis
“Perez.” Is a lawyer. Could have become a great lawyer, but he’s imbued with fear. Fear to stick his head out of mediocrity, a condition that he equals with ‘safety’ and thus with keeping unhappiness at bay. But when real danger erupts in his life, he suddenly realizes that he is no coward. He’ll face everything and everyone to defend his daughter regardless of any rule and any law.

 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

10:45 am LA, ITALIA ON STAGE – Special Screening

Non ti pago (109’) dir. Edoardo De Angelis
Based on the comedy by Eduardo De Filippo. Ferdinando Quagliuolo has inherited from his father Saverio a lottery office and he dreams of breaking the bank with an incredible win. With his trusty friend Aglietiello, he spends entire nights trying to discover the mystery behind clouds, in hopes of receiving the right numbers to play. Finally, the winning day arrives but the beneficiary is Mario Bertolini, Ferdinando’s young and already very lucky employee, who is also secretly engaged to Ferdinando’s daughter, Stella.

1:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

The Bachelorette Party 2 (110’) dir. Francesco Apolloni
After being jilted at the altar, Eleonora embarks on a desperate journey to fulfill her father’s last request: bury some strange relic at the border with Slovenia. With her most loyal girlfriends, Eleonora sets out on an unforgettable trip – a whirlwind on-the-road adventure that ultimately leads them to a small foster home in Gorizia, where they will discover previously unknown sides of their own personalities.

3:20 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – Special Screening

On Point (7′) dir. Christian Schifano
On a summer night in Harlem, Amy and Natalie wait for an Uber to go to a party downtown. While they wait, Amy enters a bodega to buy a vape where she is suddenly interrupted by a man who feels he has a point to prove.

The producer Francis Chapman will introduce the movie

To follow DOCU IS WORTH – US Premiere

Happy Tropic (83′) dir. Luigi Grispello
Molise is one of the smallest Italian regions. People say that it doesn’t exist. In effect, it does exist in space, not in time. Not in 2023. An uncontaminated, rural land that has quietly hidden itself from the eye of the modern world’s storm. The narration traverses four villages with many lifestyles. Four tribes. It starts from a small village that lives poised between poetry and death. It passes through Roccamandolfi, where a man lives. He is part brigand, part Mohican, and part cowboy. Then on to a medieval Albanian fiefdom.

The director will introduce the movie

To follow ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY– US Premiere

I, Lina (12′) dir. Luana Fanelli
Lina spends her 14th birthday just like every other day, stuck on the farm working and not in education like her more affluent teenage neighbor Clara, who attends a school for the deaf. Overhearing her older brother wanting to attend a party but needing female accompaniment to get in, Lina shares this knowledge with Clara: this news is the perfect excuse for the two girlfriends to make up a plan and escape their sad reality, for just one night.

The director will introduce the movie.

5:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

800 Days (118’) dir. Dennis Dellai
Upon returning from a party, Paolo Pierobon, son of a well-known entrepreneur from Northern Italy, is kidnapped outside his residence by a gang of criminals. Thus begins a nightmare for the young man that will last for eight hundred days spent in cramped prisons, amidst deprivation, dashed hopes, and humiliations. Throughout this time, his two parents will await him at home, afflicted and uncertain whether to rely on the State or negotiate secretly with the bandits. The story is viewed through the eyes of his girlfriend, who finds herself living a tragedy much larger than herself.

The director and part of the cast will introduce the movie.

8:00 pm    ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

Martedì e venerdì (96’) dir. Fabrizio Moro and Alessio De Leonardis
Marino has recently become separated from his wife Simona and can see his daughter only twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Due to unpaid back taxes, Marino is forced to close his auto repair shop. Because of his growing financial difficulties and his inability to handle a new and complicated phase of his private life, Manuel feels compelled to join a crime ring headed up by a friend.

The producer will introduce the movie

10:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – Special Screening

Romantic Girls (108’) dir. Pilar Fogliati
This is the story of four girls who live in and around Rome, hailing from different social backgrounds: Eugenia Praticò is an aspiring niche author who’s left her hometown Palermo to pursue her dream in the big city; Uvetta Budini di Raso is an attractive aristocrat who daydreams her life away, flitting about exclusive locations but with the urgency of a real job; Michela Trezza lives in the suburbs and is focusing on her imminent wedding; Tazia De Tiberis is a typical young woman from a posh area of the city, aiming at controlling everything, even her fiance’s most private wishes.

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

10:30 am HONORING THE ITALIAN MASTERS by Intesa Sanpaolo 

– US Premiere

14th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (98’) dir. Pupi Avati
Marzio meets Samuele in the Seventies and they start a band, ‘I Leggenda,’ and dream of breaking through in the music business, but they end up publishing only one record. Their friendship is further challenged by Sandra, Marzio’s beautiful wife whom he is unable to understand thoroughly.

12:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

Ten Minutes (120’) dir. Maria Sole Tognazzi
Ten minutes can change a day. A ten-minute experience can even change one’s lifetime. This is what happens to Bianca amidst an existential crisis. New encounters, the forging of new relationships, and the company of your loved ones. At times, not much is needed to start over and this is what this movie teaches us through its warm and passionate tale of rebirth.

3:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere 

The Devil Is Dragan Cygan (105′) dir. Emiliano Locatelli
Dragan, a former thief, and Daniele, a young factory worker, become good friends through their passion for the game of chess. Soon, however, the closure of the factory where Daniele works and a tragic turn of events will inextricably tie their fates to those of Mr. Assante and Fabrizio: a ruthless businessman and a policeman with dubious moral qualities.

5:00 pm ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – US Premiere

The Goat (90’) dir. Ilaria Borrelli
Hadyia, an 11-year-old orphan forced into a sudden and violent marriage decides to flee through the desert to save the water spring of her village from the greed of a western company. Hadyia sets out on a long journey in the company of her goat, whose milk becomes her only source of Sustenance.

The director and the actor Amr Saad will introduce the movie

7:00 pm DOCU IS WORTH – US Premiere

Discovery Tanzania (59’) dir. Andrea Iervolino
“Discovery Tanzania” is a multi-dimensional journey through Tanzania’s surprisingly varied landscape. This 3D film leads us through the vast savannah populated by impressive lions and elephants as well as ancient tribes whose traditions have remained unchanged over time. We’ll explore breathtaking natural scenes, from Kilimanjaro’s snowy peaks to the beaches washed by the Indian Ocean, becoming immersed in a visual and narrative celebration of the nature and culture of a unique and captivating country.

The director will introduce the movie.

To follow ITALIAN CINEMA WORLDWIDE – US Premiere

Paradox Effect (90’) dir. Scott Weintrob
Estranged from her daughter because of a past life of drug abuse, Karina is taking all the steps she can toward being the mother she needs to be. Double shifts and late nights, Karina has prepared for her daughter Lucy’s visit for weeks now, doing everything she can to make things as smooth as they can. But right as she’s leaving work one night Karina hears the discharge of a muted weapon and a body break through heavy glass.

The actor Oliver Trevena and the producer Andrea Iervolino will introduce the movie.

10:00 pm DOCU IS WORTH – US Premiere

The Trackers (59’) dir. Andrea Iervolino
In a landscape rich with wild animals and breathtaking views, this documentary explores the vast savannahs and thick forests through the eyes of the brave safari trackers. From their thrilling encounters with majestic lions to adrenaline-filled elephant chases, the trackers tell adventurous stories that live beyond the arena of the African wilderness. However, among the mysterious foliage and sunny clearings, we also witness their misadventures, including unexpected situations that test their skill and determination. Throughout this epic narration, we discover the fascinating and unpredictable world of safari trackers and keepers of the most hidden secrets of African wildlife.

The director will introduce the movie

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

10:45 am ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – Special Screening

Thank you Guys (107’) dir. Riccardo Milani
Faced with a lack of job offers, Antonio, a passionate but often unemployed actor, takes a job as a teacher for a drama class in a penitentiary.

12:45 am CELEBRATING DIRECTOR MATTEO GARRONE – Special Screening

Gomorrah (137’) dir. Matteo Garrone
Scampia, Naples. Five stories of small-time criminals become intertwined and shed light on the cruel and relentless ways of the ‘Camorra,’ the Neapolitan mob that continues to claim victims and take no prisoners. This excruciating story raises awareness by digging deep into the viewers’ souls. The film awarded the Jury Gran Prix in Cannes, is based on a book by Roberto Saviano.

3:30 pm MEET…EDOARDO DE ANGELIS – Special Screening 

The Vice Of Hope (96’) dir. Edoardo De Angelis
“If I have to die, I want to die my way” Maria’s time flows along with the river. She walks firmly, her hood up. A hand-to-mouth life, without dreams nor desires, spent taking care of her mother and at the service of a merciless, bejeweled old lady. With her brave-eyed pitbull, Maria ferries pregnant women across the river, leading them to an infernal fate. But hope will visit her, in its most ancestral and powerful form, as miraculous as life itself, teaching Maria that staying human is the greatest of all revolutions. 

The director will introduce the  movie

5:30 pm ENJOY THE ITALIAN COMEDIES – US Premiere

The Usual Idiots 3 – The Comeback (90’) dir. Francesco Mandelli, Fabrizio Biggio e Ferruccio Martini
A gallery of new and old characters that makes fun of our relationship with technology, family, and the environment is presented in a screwball comedy satirically grappling with contemporary issues. The film includes forays by guest stars like Sabrina Ferilli in the role of the AI, as well as Guè Pequeno, Andrea Delogu, and Gabriele Corsi.

The director Francesco Mandelli will introduce the movie.                      

7:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – World Premiere

Global Harmony (95’) dir. Fabio Massa
Richard Foster, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, was raised in a very wealthy, iconic, famous American family, but his moral compass motivated him not to follow the corporate family business. While in Italy, he witnesses a car accident that leads to the death of a pregnant woman. Richard is suddenly confronted with having to help deliver the dead woman’s baby girl. Richard ends up adopting her, and she will forever alter the course of his life.

The director will introduce the movie.      

9:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

Fifty-two (16’) dir. Andrea Bernardini, Sebastiano Casella
Southern suburbs of Rome. A tough neighborhood made up of council estates and grey skies. Adele inhabits this underworld, almost on the margins of society. Living with a violent man will lead her to make a dramatic decision that will never allow her to turn back.

To follow ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

Adagio (127’) dir. Stefano Sollima
Manuel, a sixteen-year-old boy, tries to enjoy his life as much as he can while taking care of his aging father. After being blackmailed, Manuel is tricked into going to a party to take pictures of a mysterious individual but as soon as he realizes that he’s been cheated, he runs away. Manuel understands he is over his head, and asks two former criminals who used to know his father for protection.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

10:30 am    ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

Mameli – The Boy Who Dreamed of Italy (90’) dir. Luca Lucini & Ago Panini
Mameli is an event miniseries that tells the public a story that is perhaps as little known as it is extraordinary: the life of Goffredo Mameli, poet and hero of the Risorgimento, inspired author of the poem that became the National Anthem of the Italian Republic. The first rockstar in history, whose words told the story of an entire generation and influenced its choices, is a boy from 1847. His life, as short and burning as that of the most beloved rockstars, is that of someone who by his example was able to move the minds of the people.

12:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – Special Screening

 Romeo is Juliet (102’) dir. Giovanni Veronesi
Famous theater director Federico Landi Porrini (Sergio Castellitto) is looking to cast Romeo and Juliet for the play that will mark the height of his fame and conclude his career with a bang. While Vittoria (Pilar Fogliati) stands out at the auditions, her shady past prevents her from being chosen, but she is determined to get a role in the show. With the help of her make-up artist friend (Geppy Cucciari), the young actress decides to fully show her talent by trying for Romeo under a false name, Otto Novembre.

2:30 pm MEET… EDOARDO DE ANGELIS – Special Screening 

Indivisible (104’) dir. Edoardo De Angelis
Dasy and Viola are Siamese twin sisters on the verge of turning 18, living in the suburbs of Naples. They are blessed with beautiful voices and thanks to their performances at weddings, communions, and baptisms, they get a livelihood for the whole family. Kept isolated from the rest of the world by their father, who just exploits them to make money, their life turns upside-down when one of them falls in love for the first time and they discover that they can be separated. 

The director will introduce the  movie

4:30 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – US Premiere

The Penitent (120′) dir. Luca Barbareschi
New York. A psychiatrist’s life and career are falling apart after he refused to testify for a former patient, a violent and unstable man who caused the death of several people. But the consequences of his decision are explosive, and the media takes the side of the patient, who belongs to the LGBT community, and disapproves of the Jewish doctor. The media pillory and the doggedness of the justice system add up to a moral dilemma in the professional, who entrenches himself behind the Hippocratic Oath to defend himself from all the questions.

The director will introduce the  movie

6:45 pm ITALIAN CINEMA TODAY – Special Screening 

Mimì – The Prince Of Darkness (103′) dir. Brando De Sica
Mimì is an orphaned teenager born with deformed feet who works at a pizzeria in Naples. One fateful day, he meets Carmilla, a young girl convinced she is a descendant of Count Dracula. Together, they decide to escape the cynical and violent world they live in. Brando De Sica seems to walk in the footsteps of his grandfather Vittorio who has always mixed the tragic and the comic in his immense cinematographic work because behind the laughter there is always sadness, behind the desperate reality there is always the fantasy.