Cinema Italian Style 2019

SEATTLE — October 24, 2019 — For the 11th year SIFF is presenting its annual celebration of the best of current Italian films. The week-long event runs November 7 through November 14 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, and features 15 extraordinary features with some of the biggest names in Italian cinema today.

The week kicks off with our Opening Night film, Parents in Progress (Genitori quasi perfetti) at 8:00 PM at SIFF Cinema Uptown. In this good-natured comedy a single mother strives to make her son's eighth birthday party perfect, but the bickering adults in the kitchen and an unexpected performance upend all her plans. Director Laura Chiossone is scheduled to attend. After the film there will be a reception at A/NT Gallery with delicious bites courtesy of Tutta Bella and Big John's PFI as well as delightful spirits courtesy of Santa Cristina.

Highlights include Italy's 2019 official Oscar® submission, director and co-writer Marco Bellocchio's The Traitor (Il traditore), the true story of Tommaso Buscetta, the man who brought down the Cosa Nostra in the 1980s; looking farther back to 8th century B.C., The First King (Il primo re), is an intense retelling of the founding of Rome by the shepherd brothers, Romulus and Remus; Butterfly, an intimate documentary about the first female Italian boxer to qualify for the Olympics; the star power of Alessandro Gassmann, Isabella Ragonese, and Rossy De Palma anchoring My Brother Chases Dinosaurs (Mio fratello rincorre i dinosauri), a heartwarming story about the relationship of a teenager to his younger brother.

A couple of annual traditions are returning including a half hour-long wine sampling event on Sunday, November 10 at 3:30 PM, to precede Let Me Introduce You to Sofia (Ti presento Sofia), a hilarious farce about a dad trying to hide the existence of his 10-year-old daughter from his new girlfriend. Additionally, this year's archival film is the great 1976 political thriller, Illustrious Corpses (Cadaveri eccellenti), boasting an international all-star cast including Lino Ventura, Fernando Rey, and Max von Sydow.

We're also proud to announce special guests in attendance for this year's festival. In addition to Parents in Progress (Genitori quasi perfetti) director Laura Chiosonne, Simone Catania will be here to talk about producing Butterfly and directing Drive Me Home and Agostino Ferrente will discuss directing Selfie, a unique documentary that's an impressive collage about adolescence and friendship in a male world in which toughness reigns.

Lastly, our Closing Night film, Good Girls (Brave ragazze), will end the festival on a comedic high note. The film is based on the true story of four friends in 1980s Italy that disguise themselves as men and rob a bank in order to escape the oppressive men in their lives. The festivities will continue after the film at Osteria la Spiga, where you can indulge in delectable bites and mingle with fellow Italian cinema aficionados! 

"Cinema Italian Style gets more exciting every year," says SIFF Festival Programming Manager Stan Shields. "This year's selected films are a great mix of comedy, documentary, drama, award winners and big hits from Italy, with stories that are both incredibly timely and universal. I'm pleased that Seattle audiences will have a chance to see them."

SIFF Artistic Director, Beth Barrett reflects on this year's lineup, "Cinema Italian Style delivers both great discoveries and the biggest Italian films to Seattle. Going into our 11th year, the lineup is full of stories that reflect Italian communities and history, like veteran director Marco Bellocchio's masterful The Traitor (Italy's Academy® Award submission for Best International Film) and debut titles Drive Me Home, Bangla, and My Brother Chases Dinosaurs. We are thrilled to have partners like the Seattle Perugia Sister City Association and the amazing Italian community come together around the experience of these films."  

Bookended by two fabulous parties and with several special guests in attendance, the week promises to be una settimana di film straordinario!

For screeners, interview requests, and press passes please contact Leah Anderson.

Tickets: 
Opening Night Film and Party:$25 | $20 Members
Closing Night Film and Party:$25 | $20 Members
Individual Tickets: $14 | $9 Members
Festival Pass: $100 | $75 Members (Includes Opening and Closing Night Film & Party)

About SIFF

Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the longest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 140,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 400 features, short films, and documentaries from over 80 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, arthouse, international titles, and classic repertory film showings 365 days a year on five screens at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Cinema Egyptian, and SIFF Film Center, reaching more than 175,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 8,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year.