Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep, will close the fourth edition of the International Rome Film Festival.

It is expected that Streep will introduce the film, which is part of the out of competition official selection, and will take part in an audience Q&A. It has already been announced that she will receive the festival’s Marco Aurelio acting award.

The festival also announced three Italian films set to compete in the official competition:

  • Donatella Maiorca’s Viola Di Mare, which features Valeria Solarino and Isabella Ragonese in a true life Sapphic love story set in Sicily’s 1800s.
  • Alessandro Angelini’s Alza La Testa, which stars Sergio Castellitto as the father of a teenager brought up in the boxing ring.
  • Giorgio Diritti’s L’Uomo Che Verra, starring Maya Sansa and Alba Rohrwacher in the story of the Second World War Marzabatto massacre. The film was said to have turned down an opening slot in the Venice Festival’s Orrizionti section.

Separately, Rome’s children’s sidebar Alice in the City will screen Alessandro di Robilant’s Maripiccolo, which tells the story of a Southern Italian teen who tries to escape his mob infested home town.

Meanwhile, directors Gabriele Muccino and Giuseppe Tornatore will be featured in on-stage master-classes hosted by Extra, the section focusing on panels with famous personalities and cutting edge films. It has also announced two documentaries about the Italian Earthquake will be presented in the upcoming edition.

The festival will also host a panel aimed at discussing the FUS, Italy’s single arts fund that has seen drastic cuts this year.

Topics