The Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Centre, New Delhi, and The Department of French and Foreign Languages, University of Madras, is organising an Italian Film Festival from March 12 to March 15, 2007, at the South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, 606 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 006.

'Katradhu Tamizh' Ram's next Diwali in Suburbs Rajini Still In A Dilemma! அஜீத் பேட்டி? ராம் இயக்கத்தில் சேரன்? கமல் பாராட்டிய டைட்டில்்

The schedule:

The festival will be inaugurated by R J Shahaney, chairman, Ashok Leyland Ltd, at 6.15 p.m. on Monday, March 12, at the South Indian Film Chamber Theatre. Prof Chitra Krishnan, chairperson, School of English & Foreign Languages, University of Madras, will preside. Cine artiste Padma Narayanan will be the guest of honour on the occasion.

For more details, please contact 98401 51956.

SYNOPSIS

One Last Kiss/2001/Dir: Gabriele Muccino/col/115 min

Carlo (Stefano Accorsi) is a 29-year-old man who works in an advertisement agency and has been living with his girlfriend Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) for three years. When she gets pregnant and he meets the stunning 18-year-old Francesca (Martina Stella), his relationship with Giulia moves into a crisis, since he is not ready to reach adulthood. Francesca has a crush on Carlo and dreams of him. His three best friends also have problems with their mates: Adriano (Giorgio Pasotti) has just had a son and has problems with taking the responsibilities of fatherhood, while his wife Livia (Sabrina Impacciatore) becomes very connected to the baby, neglecting their marriage; Alberto (Marco Cocci) has no ties with any woman, limiting to using them sexually; and Paolo (Claudio Santamaria) has a passion for his former lover. Meanwhile, Giulia’s mother Anna (Stefania Sandrelli) has a middle-age crisis, jeopardising her marriage. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Heart is Elsewhere/2003/Dir. Pupi Avati/col/107 min

Nello Balocchi, a 35-year-old teacher of Greek and Latin, is invited to Bologna by his father, the owner of the Papal tailor's shop in Rome. His father hopes Nello will find a soul mate in Bolgna and thus produce an heir for the business. Nello stays in a guesthouse run by Arabella, a wise woman who already knows all about his situation. He shares a room with Domenico, a crafty barber from Naples. After several unsuccessful efforts, Nello meets Angela, an exuberant, beautiful young blind girl with whom he falls hopelessly in love. The girl's father and Nello's parents do not approve of the relationship, but the real problem is Angela's temperament

Not of this World/1999/Dir: Gluseppe Piccioni/col/100 min

The rumpled owner of a dry-cleaning firm joins forces with a nun to care for an abandoned baby.

Meditarraneo/1991/Dir. Gabriele Salvatores/col/96 min

Greek Sea, World War-II. An Italian ship leaves a handful of soldiers in a little island; their mission is to spot enemy ships and to hold the island in case of attack. The village of the island seems abandoned and there isn't a single enemy in sight, so the soldiers begin to relax a little. Actually, the island isn't deserted and when the Greeks understand that those Italians are harmless, they came out of their hiding places in the mountains and continue their peaceful lives. Soon the soldiers discover that being left behind in a God-forgotten Greek island isn't such a bad thing, after all...

I am not Scared/2003/Dir: Gabriele Salvatores/col/108 min

While playing outside one day, nine-year-old Michele discovers Filippo, who is chained to the ground at the bottom of a hole. Michele witnesses town baddie Felice nearby and suspects something bad is happening. Michele is unsure whom he should tell about his discovery, eventually spilling the beans to his closest friend. Michele's parents learn of his discovery and warn him to forget whatever he saw

Postman/1999/Dir: Massimo Troisi/col/108 min

Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet, is exiled to a small island for political reasons. On the island, the unemployed son of a poor fisherman is hired as an extra postman due to the huge increase in mail that this causes. Il Postino is to hand-deliver the celebrity's mail to him. Though poorly educated, the postman learns to love poetry and eventually befriends Neruda. Struggling to grow and express himself more fully, he suddenly falls in love and needs Neruda's help and guidance more than ever

His Secret Life/2001/Dir: Ferzan Ozpetek/col/106 min

AIDS doctor Antonia’s husband is killed by a car. She gets depressed until she learns he had been cheating on her with a man. Following her newborn curiosity for life, she goes to see her husband's lover, Michele, and finds a huge apartment that he shares with gay and transgendered friends, including a Turkish immigrant and a prostitute. Antonia is reluctant to tell these people of her relationship to the dead man, but needs prompting to move on to a new phase of her life.

R Rangaraj