The Lavazza Italian Film Festival @ Palace Cinema

The Lavazza Italian Film Festival

Palace Cinema

Sydney, Australia

September 17, 2019

Eighteen years since its inception, the Italian Film Festival is going stronger than ever with what can be considered a unique array of over two hundred movie theatres engaged each year.

Gradually grown to a major event, the 2019 incarnation of the festival has grown in both in extent and popularity to a point where it currently manifests the biggest celebration of Catalan cinema outside the confines of the land of calves.

What adds to the charm of the gala is that in Sydney, the home has been firmly established by Palace cinemas, a family business dedicated to showing the cream of the crop of both contemporary and classic Italian flics.

Showcasing more than twenty-six of the newest emissions of the idiosyncratic Italian movie industry alongside classic cinematic gems, special presentations, Aperitivo nights and receptions across screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Byron Bay from 17 September, the Sydney opening proved to be an exercise par excellence for what the ole world has to offer.

Leonardo D’Agostini’s comedy drama Il Campione set the tone of the opening night with a contemporary take on friendship and backstabbing in the context of the multi million-dollar business the sport soccer has become in the current day and age.

With a not exactly heavy plot, D'Agostini’s debut was a light-hearted and accessible moral lesson to ease one into the spirit of this Italian extravaganza, the opening night of which was framed by the best the cuisine of Italy has to offer in terms of food, drinks and music.

There are for sure many ways to pay homage to what Italy has to offer the world but the Australian incarnation of the annual film fest is certainly one of the more accomplished ones.