The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 - May 5), with support from Gucci and Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, will present a new print of the 4K digital restoration of Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (Italy 1960), a film that shook up international cinema, at the Castro Theatre, 12:30 pm, Sunday, May 1.



Considered revolutionary at the time of its release, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita changed the landscape of international filmmaking. The film chronicles seven nights and the dawns that follow as journalist Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) pursues "the sweet life" in postwar Rome, floating between the decadent high society lifestyle he seeks with his rich lover and a Swedish bombshell, and the stifling domesticity offered by his suicidal girlfriend. The film's iconic images -- the statue of Christ being flown over Rome, Anita Ekberg frolicking in the Trevi Fountain in her evening gown -- have become unforgettable snapshots of a society in glamorous decay. Fellini brilliantly conducts Otello Martelli's sparkling black-and-white cinematography, Nino Rota's jazzy score and one of Mastroianni's finest performances in a film that encapsulates Fellini's many gifts to cinema: the ability to see the absurdity and magic of it all, and at the same time, the tragedy and the beauty.

Being condemned by the Catholic Church in Italy as "immoral" naturally led to the film breaking all box office records. In America it is still one of the most-seen foreign films of all time.

Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with The Film Foundation, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale, Pathé, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Mediaset-Medusa, Paramount Pictures and Cinecittà Luce. Restoration funding provided by Gucci and The Film Foundation.

La Dolce Vita will be presented as part of The Film Foundation and Gucci's Cinema Visionaries program, which also includes the restorations of Luchino Visconti's Senso (Italy 1954, SFIFF 1957), Michelangelo Antonioni's Le Amiche (Italy 1955, SFIFF 1995) and John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence (USA 1974, SFIFF 1984), all of which were presented at recent SF Internationals.

La Dolce Vita is presented with support from Gucci and The Film Foundation.

For tickets and information visit sffs.org/tickets. Tickets go on sale March 17 for members and March 30 for the general public.

Complete Festival program information is available at fest11.sffs.org