Opening Night of the 2011 Lavazza Italian Film Festival

This evening marks the opening of the 12th annual Lavazza Italian Film Festival at Palace Cinemas Norton Street. Running until the 5th October there will be 31 new Italian films, including 29 features and 2 documentaries, screened across the Norton Street, Verona and Chauvel locations.

The Opening Night Film, Welcome to the South, will be introduced introduced by young Italian star Matilde Maggio, who will also be introducing sessions of her other films, The Ages of Love and Martino's Summer. Welcome to the South will kick off at 7.00pm with ticket holders also receiving a gift bag, and indulging in an open bar, including Brown Brothers wine and sparkling, Peroni beer and espresso martinis, following the screening.

I have been lucky enough to catch a few of the films to screen during the festival. In addition to Welcome to the South, The Ages of Love (starring Robert De Niro and Monica Bellucci) will be a popular one, but 20 Cigarettes, Corpo Celeste, A Quiet Life, Escort in Love and the Closing Night Film, John Turturro's Passione are all recommended viewing.