Ronald W. Del Sesto, Sr., who inspired the founding of ItalianTourism.us, was the founder of the Italian Film Festival in Providence, Rhode Island.
Del Sesto was a life-long student of Italian culture. A lover of Italian movies, each winter when the cold and grey weather descended on Rhode Island he organized an Italian Film festival that would span a few weekends, often shown at the Cable Car Cinema in Providence. On these winter weekends like-minded folks would gather to see an Italian movie in the series followed by what else… but a delicious Italian meal. Over wine and fine food the group would discuss the Italian movies and toast another winter weekend brightened by the Italian films, Italian foods, Italian wines, and great company.
Del Sesto designed The Italian Film Festival by grouping the films below, which are meant to be watched in the order.
Italian Film Festivals – Copyright ItalianTourism.us
Neorealismo Sampler
- Roma, citta’ aperta (Rome Open City) (Rossellini, 1945)
- The Bicycle Thief (DeSica, 1946)
- Paisa’ (Rossellini, 1946)
- La terra trema (The Earth Moves) (Visconti, 1948)
- Bitter race (De Santis, 1949)
Fellini – Allegro non troppo
- La dolce vita (Fellini, 1958)
- Fred & Ginger (Fellini, 1986)
- Amarcord (Fellini, 1973)
- Intervista (Fellini, 1987)
Simply Marcello
- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (DeSica, 1963)
- Divorce Italian Style (Germi, 1961)
- Dark Eyes (Mikhalkov, 1987)
- Stanno tutti bene (Everybody’s Fine) (Tornatore, 1990)
Bella Sicilia
- Kaos (Taviani Brothers, 1984)
- The Leopard (Visconti, 1963)
- Malena (Tornatore, 2005)
- Cinema Paradiso (Tornatore, 1988)
- Star Maker (Tornatore, 1995)
- Johnny Stecchino (Tornatore, 1991)
From Naples to Milan, stopovers in Rome, Ferrara, and Genoa with Director-Actor Vittorio DeSica
- L’oro di Napoli (The Gold of Naples) (DeSica, 1955)
- Umberto D (DeSica, 1952)
- The Garden of the Finza-Cotinis (DeSica, 1970)
- General Della Rovere (Rossellini, 1959)
- Miracle in Milan (DeSica, 1951)
Rossellini: The War Trilogy
- Roma, citta’ aperta (Rome Open City) (Rossellini, 1945)
- Paisa’ (Rossellini, 1946)
- Germany Ground Zero (Rossellini, 1947)
The Changing Landscape – The Italian Family 1900-2000
- La famiglia (The Family) (Scola, 1987)
- Stanno tutti bene (Everybody’s Fine) (Tornatore, 1990)
- Pane e tulipani (Bread and Tulips) (Soldini, 1999)
The Lion’s Dreams of Legendary America
- C’era una volta in America (Once Upon a Time in America) (Leone, 1984)
- C’era una volta il west (Once Upon a Time in the West) (Leone, 1968)
- Buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) (Leone, 1966)
- Per qualche dollaro in piu’ (For a few Dollars More) (Leone, 1965)
- Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful of Dollars) (Leone, 1964)
The Way We Were
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (Olmi, 1978)
- Novecento (1900s) (Bertolucci, 1976)
- Padre Padrone (Father and Master) (Taviani Brothers, 1977)
- La famiglia (Scola, 1987)
The War Years and Before
- Christ Stopped at Eboli (Rosi, 1979)
- A Special Day (Scola, 1977)
- Two Women (DeSica, 1960)
- Paisa’ (Rossellini, 1946)
- The Night of Shooting Stars (Taviani Brothers, 1982)
“America e qui!” – The Boom Years
- La dolce vita (Fellini, 1958)
- We All Loved Each Other So Much (Scola, 1974)
- Il sorpasso (The Easy Life) (Risi, 1962)
For more Italian culture check out Ron’s Italy reading list.
