Wednesday, October 17-------------Rome is a great city, and it deserves a great film festival. And in only its second edition, CINEMA: Rome Film Fest is presenting just that......a sprawling event filled with movie stars, international auteurs, hot new directors and an impressive roster of professional events. The second edition of CINEMA. Festa Internazionale di Roma - RomeFilmFest will be held from the 18th to the 27th of October 2007 in the Rome Auditorium, along with screenings at movie theatres and events held across the city, from the famed Via Veneto to the sprawling Piazza del Popolo, from Cinecittà studios to locations in the province of Rome and the entire Lazio region. This is truly a city-wide celebration of cinema.

The Festival launches tomorrow evening with the premiere of LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE (Second Wind) by French director Alain Corneau. The director and his stars, Daniel Auteuil, Monica Bellucci and Michel Blanc, are expected to walk the Red Carpet to the thunderous acclaim of Rome's cinema-crazed fans and, of course, the papparazzi (the hungry photographers immortalized in Fellini's LA DOLCE VITA). The lavish production will be matched by an equally lavish Opening Night Party that will bring out the city's cultural, political and social elite. If there ever was an event for people watching, this is it. The beautiful people in the heart of the beautiful city.....unmissable. But back to the films.....Among the other Gala Premieres making their way to the Rome red carpet are: YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH (directed by Francis Ford Coppola), INTO THE WILD (Sean Penn), RENDITION (Gavin Hood), NOISE (Henry Bean) , LIONS FOR LAMBS (Robert Redford), ACROSS THE  UNIVERSE (Julie Taymor), THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE (Susanne Bier), SILK (Francis Baricco), THE DUKES (Robert Davi), DAYS AND CLOUDS (Silvio Soldoni)  and AUGUST RUSH (Kirsten Sheridan). 

This year's Competition Section is especially strong, with a true international representation. Films competing include: BARCELONA, A MAP (Spain, Ventura Pons), CHAOTIC ANNA (Spain, Julio Medem), THE VANISHING POINT (France, Laurent De Bartillat), EL PASADO (Argentina/Brazil, Hector Babenco), FUGITIVE PIECES (Canada, Jeremy Podeswa), HAFEZ (Iran, Abolfazl Jalili), JUNO (US, Jason Reitman), L’ABBUFFATA (Italy, Mimmo Calopresti), THE RIGHT DISTANCE (Italy, Carlo Mazzacurati), LI CHUN (China, Chang Wei Gu), HIDDEN LOVE (Luxembourg, Alessandro Capone), THE PRIVATE MAN (Italy, Emidio Greco), MONGOL (Russia, Sergei Bodrov) and RESERVATION ROAD (US, Terry George), starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly. Among the Special Events unfurling in the next 10 days: a Focus on Indian Cinema, German Days, A Tribute To Cannes Film Festival President Gilles Jacob, a marathon screening of the films of  horror master Dario Argento and.........Sophia Loren, who will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Talk about glamour, this Festival has got it, in spades. Stay tuned to the Rome Film Fest Dailies site (www.fest21.com/blog/romefilmfestival) for all the excitement as Rome celebrates a Roman Holiday of Cinema.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Circuit Editor