Ischia Global Film & Music Fest wraps

Directors John Landis, Lina Wertmuller, double-Oscar winner Paul Haggis and Christian De Sica, and the extraordinary actress Naomi Watts ("21 Grams" and the film "King Kong") were among the featured cinema leaders at the Ischia Global Film & Music Fest, produced by Pascal Vicedomini and held at the Regina Isabella on the island of Ischia July 11-16. Wertmuller, Landis and Haggis were honored by the Ischia International Academy of Art (President Giancarlo Carriero). They joined at the Kimbo Cinema Forum to debate and discuss hot topics in the film industry, including, co-productions, co-distributions and product placement.

Among the other personalities who participated were music legends Burt Bacharach and Harry Belafonte, and actors Matthew Modine, Liev Schreiber, Gina Gershon, Rupert Friend, Hugh Dancy and Daniel Ezralow; directors Terry Gilliam, Michal Radford, Michael Caton Jones, John Irvin and Mike Figgis; costume designers Deborah Nadolmann Landis, Sandy Powell and Francesca Sartori; and producers Jeremy Thomas, Larry Turman, Fisher Stevens, John Penotti and Nicola Giuliano.

Particular attention was dedicated to the German cinema.
Representatives of Germany as the host country of honor included directors Marc Rothemund and
Dani Levy, and actors Thomas Kretschmann, Julia Jentesch and the beautiful Diane Kruger (Helen in "Helen of Troy" with Brad Pitt as Achilles).
Among the leading Italian participants were directors Mimmo Calopresti, Marco Risi, Stefano Veneruso and Libero di Rienzo; actors Franco Nero, Adriano Giannini, Enrico Loverso, Silvio Orlando, Nicolas
Vaporidis, Serena Autieri, Giacomo Rizzo, Maria Pia Calzone, Alessandro Siani and Gerry Calà,
and composer Dario Marianelli, a 2006 Oscar candidate.

The 4th edition of the Ischia Global Film & Music Fest was produced with the support of the Director General's office of Cinema in the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities, and the Tourism Council of the Campania Region. Official sponsors of the event were Caffe Kimbo, Medmar, San Paolo Banco of Naples and Acqua Minerale Lete, with additional sponsorship by the Chamber of Commerce of Naples and the Community of the Island of Ischia.