C&G’s Guide to the Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2019
The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is returning to Melbourne and celebrating its 20th anniversary. That’s 20 years since founder Antonio Zeccola built Australia’s exclusive national boutique cinema! From 19th September until 16th October you can enjoy some European culture, with award-winning films showing at local Bayside theatres such as Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay and The Astor Theatre. In this C&G blog we guide you through some excellent films you should immerse yourself in!
The Champion
Start your cultural journey with the festival’s opening feature The Champion, a story of betrayal, loyalty and trust set in the world of professional Italian football. This is the debut movie for director Leonardo D’Agostini, who was awarded the Silver Ribbon for Best New Director at the 2019 Nastri d’argento awards. The Champion also premiered at the Lecce European Film Festival. You can view the trailer and buy your tickets here.
Promised
Melbourne’s Astor Theatre will be hosting the world premiere of Promised – Nick Conidi’s directional debut. This is a romantic drama featuring prominent Italian-Australian actors Paul Mercurio and Tina Arena. If you’re into love triangles, arranged marriages and drama, this film is definitely worth having a look. The trailer and tickets can be found here!
Pavarotti
End this Italian extravaganza with the festival’s closing feature, Pavarotti. Directed by Academy Award-winner Ron Howard, this documentary tells the story of one of the most famous tenors in classical music history, Luciano Pavarotti. You will be able to enjoy never-seen-before interviews and concert performances that pay homage to Pavarotti. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary film – book your tickets here.
These are only a small selection of what the festival has to offer. You can visit the official website for the full program here, and enjoy European cinema with some delicious pizza and Lavazza coffee – live la dolce vita!