June 3 - “Words on Screen - New Italian Literature into Film” is a two-day New York festival, taking place today and tomorrow organized by ANICA and AIE to promote Italian film and literary productions within the “2013 Year of Italian Culture in the United States” program. The event is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development and realized in collaboration with the Fondazione Cinema per Roma through New Cinema Network. The events provides for public screenings of films inspired by Italian novels, discussions with directors, producers, writers and editors, and meetings on film projects inspired by the literary works of national authors. The aim is to strengthen the presence of Italian publishing houses and film industries in the U.S. market and foster international coproduction, relying on the close connection between Italian books and movies: in the last years 20% of the films released in Italian cinemas were based on books. “The main Italian cultural industries, books and films - said Marco Polillo, AIE and Confindustria Italian Culture president - took the opportunity offered by the Ministry of Economic Development to launch a joint international project aiming at creating a new image of Made in Italy”. “Italian literature and film have interwoven their paths ever more closely in the second half of the past century – recalls ANICA’s president, Riccardo Tozzi. – It’s a strong and passionate relationship that produced masterpieces that remain in history. On the domestic market, the results are excellent, and now it’s time to expand to a more international public”.

THE PROGRAM’S SCHEDULED EVENTS

The Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò is hosting several initiatives within the program. The headquarters of the Department of Italian Studies at New York University welcome, this afternoon, the movie “Bellas Mariposas,” based on the novel by Sergio Atzeni (and published by Sellerio). The screening will be attended by director Salvatore Mereu, and producer Cecilia Valmarana for Rai Cinema. A second debate (to take place at 8pm) will feature producer Mario Gianani, and Kylee Doust, literary agent and translator for the novel “Io e te” by Niccolo Ammaniti. Published by Einaudi Stile Libero, Bernardo Bertolucci took Ammaniti’s novel as a source of inspiration for his screenplay by the same name. Tomorrow, at 4:30pm, Antonio Monda will interview Simone Lenzi, author of the book “Generation,” (published by Baldini Castoldi Dalai), from which Paolo Virzì drew inspiration for his film “Every Blessed Day.” At 6.15pm, there will be a screening of “Siberian Education” by Gabriele Salvatores, followed by a meeting with Nicolai Lilin, author of the novel (for Giulio Einaudi), and Gina Gardini for Cattleya productions.