Dolmen Home Library has acquired DVD distribution rights for 50 films from the Cristaldi Film Library, including several Oscar-winning titles produced by the legendary Italian producer Franco Cristaldi.

The deal was signed by Cristaldi library heirs Zeuda Araya and Massimo Cristaldo with Dolmen chief Alessandro Usai.

Titles in the package include Pietro Germi's 1962 classic and Best Screenplay Oscar winner Divorce Italian Style and the director's cut of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1991 Oscar winner Cinema Paradiso.

The package includes other classics like Europa 51 by Roberto Rossellini, Kapo by Gillo Pontecorvo and Bitter Rice (Riso Amaro) by Giuseppe de Santis as well as Francesco Rosi's 1983 BAFTA award winner Christ Stopped at Eboli (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli).

The agreement includes the distribution of some titles not yet released on DVD like Ghosts of Rome (Fantasmi a Roma) by Antonio Pietrangeli and Il seduttore with Alberto Sordi.

For the 40th anniversary of the death of Italy's most loved and arguably most influential comic, Toto, Mario Monicelli's Big Deal on Madonna Street (I soliti ignoti) and Camillo Mastrocinque's Men or Caporals' (Siamo uomini o caporali) in which Toto stars, will also be distributed.

Before the sale, the Cristaldi heirs controlled over 240 classic Italian titles under their Lux Film banner, opened in 1996 to manage the library.

The first titles through Dolmen will be available in August.

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