Preparations are well underway in Rome for the fourth edition of the Festival that, in 2009, is hoping to receive its final blessing following the introduction of an international jury.

“We have a twelve million Euro budget: this figure was reached, despite cuts by some of the partners, thanks to the contribution of our sponsors who include some new international names”, explains Francesca Via, Director General of the Rome Festival.

What are the main new features of the Fourth Edition of the Rome Film Festival?

We have rationalized the organization and carried out a series of adjustments based on the experience obtained in the first two years. Piera De Tassis has been entrusted with the Artistic Direction and she will be flanked by two section curators: Mario Sesti for Extra “” l’Altrocinema and Gianluca Giannelli for Alice in the City.
Both the Competition and the Documentaries sections will have professional juries.
Extra will include six meetings that, as in the past, will characterize the event: the Master Classes, where great actors and actresses talk about their life and work in front of a live audience.
In addition to the names already announced, which include Meryl Streep and Paulo Coelho, there will also be a dialogue between Giuseppe Tornatore and Gabriele Muccino.

Why did you decide to introduce a jury?

It was the result of an explicit request from the producers: however qualified it may have been, the jury of fifty film buffs was unable to find its own direction and it is possible that this penalized the Competition in the first two years.
Certainly it will take time to establish an award like the “Marco Aurelio” in the collective imagination but, from this year onwards, we intend to work towards strengthening the competition that will be judged by high ranking names such as President Milos Forman, Gabriele Muccino and Senta Berger, the internationally famous architect Gae Aulenti, scriptwriter Jean-Loup Dabadie, writer Assia DJebar and director Pavel Lungin.
Well-established directors and film-makers are happy to take part when this type of jury is involved.

Shall we discuss the market?

We are investing a lot in the market: after the significant response received in past years, we will be maintaining the Business Street format for this edition, using the terraces of the Bernini and the Majestic for meetings and a series of panels.
We will also be keeping a place inside the Festival. In light of the positive response we have received, we have decided to develop this section by inviting buyers from all over the world instead of using the stand formula.

Who will be the subject of Focus this year?

It won’t be a country or a film but a subject: the Environment.
This is obviously a very topical subject which will be dealt with in an innovative way.