Fest will focus only on English-lingo prod'ns again

By DAVID ROONEY

ROME -- The 47th Taormina Film Festival has unveiled a lineup featuring world and European premieres, and highlighted by a Vietnam double bill of Joel Schumacher's "Tigerland" and Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now Redux."

Non-competitive fest, unspooling June 29-July 7, will focus exclusively on English-lingo productions from around the globe for the second year.

Films scheduled for the Sicilian resort town's ancient Greek amphitheater include sci-fi comedy "Evolution," with director Ivan Reitman and stars Orlando Jones and Seann William Scott on hand; Michael Apted's "Enigma," starring Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott; and Brit helmer Nick Hamm's horror thriller "The Hole," with Thora Birch.

Also to unspool are Stewart Sugg's "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," starring Stellan Skarsgard and Chris Penn; Brit tyro director Richard Parry's "South West 9"; and "The Anniversary Party," co-directed by and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro will be on hand to present Coppola's definitive version of "Apocalypse Now."

Kusturica jams

Taormina will open with the presentation of the Italian film critics' Nastri d'Argento Awards, followed by a concert featuring Yugoslavian director Emir Kusturica and his 17-member No Smoking Band. Closing event is a recital by singer Miriam Makeba as part of dedication to African children afflicted with AIDS.

Screenings in other fest venues include Brit comedy "Ms. Caldecott's Cabbage War," starring Pauline Collins and directed by Ian Sharp; Italian helmer Mauro Borrelli's U.S. production "Goodbye Casanova"; and Australian Michael Petroni's "Till Human Voices Wake Us," with Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pearce.

Also scheduled is Brit pic "To End All Wars" by David Cunningham, with Robert Carlyle and Keifer Sutherland; Polish director Jurek Bogajevic's English-language "The Edges of the Lord," starring Willem Dafoe and Haley Joel Osment; and Canadian helmer Winston W. Moxam's "Barbara James."

Principal retrospective this year focuses on the work of Italian veteran Luigi Comencini, including his WWII Resistance comedy "Tutti a Casa," with star Alberto Sordi in attendance. A tribute to Ettore Scola also is on tap.

The fest is dedicated to the memory of film critic and founding fest director Guglielmo Biraghi, who died earlier this year in Rome.

Source: Variety

Official Festival Site