The Ischia International Arts Academy along with American Express, BNL-Group, BNP PARIBAS and Planter's are proud to announce that the 10th Annual Ischia Global Film & Music Festival will take place from July 8th through the 15th on several of the most beautiful locations on Ischia, Italy's renowned green island resort (http://www.ischiaglobal.com/). The Festival will launch with the European premiere of Rob Reiner's latest movie, "The Magic of Belle Isle" starring Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen, which will be released in America two days earlier (Friday July 6th).

The Fest's stellar program will also include the Italian premiere of  "Snow White and the Huntsman" by Rupert Sanders and a 15-minute World Premiere of footage from Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's latest film, "Lovelace," starring Amanda Seyfried, James Franco and Wes Bentley. The full lineup of Fest films will be revealed in early June.

Pascal Vicedomini, founder and producer of the week-long extravaganza, made the announcements here today at the Cannes Film Festival accompanied by Oscar®-winning screenwriters and directors Paul Haggis and Bill Monahan and producers Avi Lerner, Nicholas Chartier, and Fulvio Lucisano and Paolo De Brocco (Honorary Board Members of the Ischia International Arts Academy).

American producers Paula Wagner and Rick Nicita, are the Chairpersons of the 2012 Festival. They will be assisted by Trudie Styler, serving as president, and by multi Oscar- winning production-designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, producers Mark Canton and Aurelio De Laurentiis, actor Franco Nero, director Lina Wertmuller and Italian music legend Tony Renis. Iconic producer Marina Cicogna ("Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion") will serve as the Fest's Mistress of Ceremonies.

International filmmakers already confirmed to attend include directors Lee Daniels, Simon Curtis, Rupert Sanders, Oliver Nakache and Éric Toledano, together with Argentinian legend Fernando Solanas, the Italian legends Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Golden Bear winners at Berlin 2012 for "Cesar Must Die") and Dario Argento (a special guest at Cannes 2012 with "Dracula 3D"), as well as Emanuele Crialese, Paolo Genovese, Guido Lombardi and Luca Miniero.

Actors scheduled to participate include Christoph Waltz, Melissa Leo, Anthony Mackie, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Lily Cole, Angela Correa, Maricel Alvarez and the Italian actors Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Fabio de Luigi, Chiara Francini, Marco Giallini, Cristiana Capotondi, Francesco Scianna, Carolina Crescentini, Flavio Insinna, Sara Felberbaum, and Michele Riondino. Also the American music legends Mike Stoller and Corky Hale, along with the Italian musicians and singers: Andrea Griminelli, Vittorio Grigolo, Nina Zilli, Enzo Gragnaniello, Matia Bazar, Andrea Mingardi, Peppino di Capri and many others that will be announced shortly.

Each day's program will consist of a mix of screenings at numerous motion picture theatres throughout the Island topped off by an evening of premieres and awards ceremonies honoring entertainment legends from the worlds of film and music, along with musical performances by renowned Italian and International artists. The evening screenings will take place at the Fest's spectacular theatre under the stars on the Bay of Napoli at the host hotel, the Regina Isabella Resort and Spa. There will also be conferences and forums dealing with socially pertinent and industry issues of global importance.

Tony Renis will lead the International Music Symposium produced in association with the American Recording Academy and attended by its president Neil Portnow, noted music attorney Charles Ortner, legendary composer Mike Stoller, and many extraordinary Italian and International artists.

Joel Schumacher, the American director of such films as "Batman Forever," "The Client" and "Phantom of the Opera," will preside over the Fest's Global Master Class For Actors. Produced In collaboration with the University Suor Benincasa di Napoli, the seminar - Being an Actor - will feature participation by young artists from around the world selected by the noted Hollywood acting coach Bernie Hiller. It will be held at Luchino Visconti's Villa la Colombaia,

The Fest will also host the 5th Global Production Summit that will bring together an impressive array of prominent international and Italian producers including Avi Lerner, chairman Nu Image, Nicolas Chartier, chairman Voltage Pictures, Mark Canton, CEO Atmosphere Entertainment, Lawrence Bender, principal A Band A Part, Sam Hadida, chairman Metropole, Amy Gilliam, Parnassus Productions. Also Aurelio De Laurentiis, Grazia Volpi, Fulvio Lucisano, Pietro Valsecchi and Camilla Nesbitt, Paolo Del Brocco and Luigi Lonigro, Nicola Giuliano, Valerio De Paolis, Fabrizio Mosca, Maurizio Totti, Carlo Degli Esposti, as well as Richard Borg (CEO, Universal Italia), Osvaldo de Santis (president, Fox Italia), Daniel Frigo (CEO, Walt Disney Italia), Carlo Rossella (president, Medusa), Nicola Maccanico (CEO, Cinema Warner Bros Italia) and others.

Each year the Fest salutes the cinematic arts of a specific country. This year it will focus on Argentina, and will feature a retrospective of director Fernando Solanas' films. Other participants in this sidebar will be director Gabriela Tagliavini, actress Lola Ponce and Lucila Sola, amongst others. Countries saluted by the Festival in prior years include India, China, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The 2012 Ischia Global Film & Music Fest is presented with the support of the D.G.Cinema-MIBAC, Regione Campania and Napoli Chamber of Commerce, is in collaboration with Medmar, Alilauro and Charterbay-Caracciolo.

       PHOTO: Pascal Vicedomini, Madalina Diana Ghenea, Oscar®winniing screen-writer Bill Monahan (The Departed) and multi Oscar®-winning screenwriter and film director Paul Haggis (Crash, 2004) @ Ischia Global Conference in Cannes Festival