Final Screening Night

10 Filmmakers. Six Documentaries. Standing Room Only. It was a lovely evening for the maiden voyage of the John Felice Rome Center's first ever film festival. Many of the films will be posted on youtube and google video, stay tuned for links to those films once they've been uploaded successfully. Kudos to everyone involved for creating such a lovely and successful evening. Below, Susana Cavallo spoke, along with JFRC Director Emilio Iodice pictured with Susan and half of my "Fellini" hat. Alexandra Platt, James Kilton and Charlie Noell take bows after their successful screening of "Sono Niente." Filmmakers below include Darkus Beasley with "Rockwell" Brian Kedzorsky with "La Vita Pizza" Mike Fricchione with "Pater Noster" Lauren Maria Madere with "Father Phillip, Professor Larrey" and Al Neva, Jerry Bell and Kyle Colonna with "Sergio Corsi in "Monkey Business." Finally, Susana Cavallo recounts how the class came into being. A fun night for all.

Visit from Marketing chief for Universal

We had a lovely visit with Duncan Clark, the second in command of marketing and distribution for Universal Studios. Duncan has worked with Steven Spielberg and others on their films, and is full of great tales of the world of Hollywood. He challenged the students to beat him in a ping pong match, and guaranteed the winner a job at Universal. No one took him up on the challenge, unfortunately. Also, some pix of Ron Howard directing Tom Hanks in "Angels and Demons" (photos courtesy of Al Neva)

Filmmakers Filming

Here are some pix from "Sono Niente" - the film that James Kilton, Alexandra Platt and Charlie Noell are working on. Enjoy.

CINECITTA' - Fellini Lives!

Went to visit CineCitta with the class.

Trip was arranged via Gene Kelly, former producer of the miniseries "Rome" which I got a chance to visit the set of a few years back. We were treated to a grand tour, courtesy of a guide who's been there for seven years, and he took us around to meet the man who's worked with everyone; he's the head property master, and his family makes sculptures for all the major miniseries and movies. As he said "The history of Italian Cinema is in my workshop." He also told us a story about working the Fellini - "The best director I worked with because he really knew what he wanted, and would make everyone work for his vision.. but then when he came to the studio the next day, he was the worst director - he would completely change his mind." He also worked with Bertolucci on "The Last Emperor." We were given a tour of the Rome set,
as well as Stage 5, where Fellini made all of his movies. It's the largest stage in Europe, and the guide told us how Fellini had recreated the Via Veneto in the stage for "La Dolce Vita" as well as the Trevi fountain for the scene with Anita Ekberg. We also visited a set for a miniseries about St. Francis of Assisi - complete with Assisi. Later, we stopped near the Pantheon to watch the filming of "Angels and Demons" and being an old friend of Ron Howard's dad, got him to speak to the class briefly. His comment: "Whatever you do, don't do this job. It's too much work." He laughed, gave me a high five and went back to work directing Tom Hanks.

Documentary Maiden Voyage

This is our first film production class of the John Felice Rome Center. We have ten students in our class from all walks of life; James Kilton and Alex Platt from the USF school of film - James and Alexandra are doing pieces for the USF TV station with standup bits from around Rome, and James recently got a gig working for Fox as an editor, while Alex will be working as an intern at Sony BMG in Santa Monica. Charlie Noell, a Rome center alum, who has returned this summer, and is helping Alex and James create their documentary about Gypsies who live in a camp in Monte Mario - Charlie's excellent translating skills made him key in helping put the show together. We have Al Neva, Jerry Bell and Kyle Colonna (who've been nicknamed NBC) who are working on a documentary about the irrepresive Italian maestro Dr. Sergio Corsi - a documentary about his life and passion for teaching. Mike Fricchione is making a documentary about departing chaplain Father John Chandler, who is leaving the Rome center after five years to return to Hawaii. Maria is making a documentary about a priest she knows from Baltimore who lives in Rome, is friends with the Pope, and who blesses local bars when they're started. Darkus is making a documentary about sculptor Peter Rockwell, son of painter Norman Rockwell, who taught at the Rome Center some 30 years previously, and who is still working and living in Rome. Finally, Brian is making a comedy about the day in the life of a pizza, or "La Pizza Vita." So far, so good! We'll be having a screening the last week of school, and we're all looking forward to it! Here's a pic of the class.