By Alberto Macchione
The Opening Night Gala of the Italian Film Festival at the Palace Norton in Sydney’s Little Italy, was truly SomeTHING to Love. Festival Director, Elysia Zeccola and her team outdid themselves in an elegant, unpretentious spectacular that will be remembered for the ages.
Guests arrived to a red carpet welcome featuring Italian Prosecco on arrival and a night of sparkling entertainment, kicking off with Italo Australian musician Evea Paola.
The foyer was very quickly full of a veritable who’s who of the Italian community in Sydney, including the iconic owner or Moretti’s Ristorante, Ilario Ventolini and family; Rojo Consulting’s Josie Gagliano, Wog with the Grog Robert Dessanti; Members of the Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney, the Italian Language and Culture Group and President of the Lazio Association Benito Berti and family.
All attention then turned towards festival ambassador, Silvia Colloca. Described as ‘Wonder Woman’ by Festival Director, Elysia Zeccola, Colloca is a Film Star, Mezzosoprano, Author, Presenter, TV Chef who needs no introduction. Lining up to greet adoring fans, Elysia and brother and Palace CEO Ben Zeccola, very graciously made themselves available to attendees, as did special guest and Superstar Soprano, Rebecca Gulinello.
Among the dignitaries, an envoy of Professors from Italy including a Film Festival, joined the Italian Consul General of Switzerland and the Italian Consul General of Sydney to cement the event as a truly international evening.
The centrepiece of the evening was the screening of Master Director, Paolo Genovese’s new film Somebody To Love (Follemente). Opening the formalities was the Stylish and highly articulate Elysia Zeccola who shared with us, not only an overview of the films in the festival but the special screenings which would only be available on Palace screens such as a first look at the magnificent “La Grazia” before hitting Italian festival screens, local content from Signorinella and a revisionist night celebrating the anniversary of the iconic Looking for Alibrandi.
“There’s a lot to get through, quipped Elysia, but you’ll thank me later when you pick up your gift bags on the way containing all the goods from our wonderful sponsors” eliciting a laugh from a loyal audience of cinemagoers.
Zeccola called up the Italian Consul General of Italy, Dr Gianluca Rubagotti, who was quick to call out the significance of the evening, “This is the most important, the biggest Italian film festival outside of Italy, and I am very happy to have a delegation from Accademia delle Belle Arti di Napoli. We have three Professors, including one who is an expert of cinema and who will be with us for other activities. We have to say, thank you a questa grande famiglia italiana” Describing the featured film as an ‘exploration of feeling’ he finished by inviting us all to “enjoy the film”.
A final introduction from the Festival Director was to invite the “Wonderful festival Ambassador back this year, opera singer, actress, Wonder Woman, Sylvia Colloca”.
Sylvia addressed the audience by saying that “it feels like coming home to a room full of many familiar faces and lots of new ones that all have a shared passion, movies, two shared passions, movies and Prosecco.” Colloca gave thanks to the Zeccola family, because it is their tireless commitment to bring us the best of the best that makes ideas possible, where we can fully appreciate the magic of Italian movie making in such a vibrant and communal way.”
Colloca went on to say “So many titles in this year’s program, too many to mention. Paulo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia’. Guys put that on your list, as well as the new Gabriel Salvatore’s movies. These are just masterpieces. If you like horror movies, I do. Profondo Rosso deep red by the iconic horror director Daniel gento is also in the program. Do not bring the kids to that.
“I want to pause on a very touching work that I’ve watched twice already, and I’ve recommended to everyone that I know, Italian and non Italian friends. It’s a documentary called Signorinella. It is a tribute to those incredibly brave, incredible young Italian women that left their villages back in the day, married off by proxy, boarded those ships and arrived in Australia with nothing, no language, no possessions, no family, and in the arms of husbands they had not met, and in a country that, at the time, didn’t want them there.”
“They were marginalised, but they did not let that tamper with their spirit, and they rolled up their sleeves, and they built families and they built communities and they built thriving businesses, and in that process, they made good on a little important promise to make Australia fall in love with Italian culture, with our language, with the we gesticulate, with our food, with our music, our fashion, because we can bring it so tonight, it’s not Just about the movies. It’s also about celebrating the tenacity of those women and the work of the filmmakers and you guys, because these nights are possible because you come and you tell your friends and you tell your family, and every year it gets bigger, you keep this flame alive with such enthusiasm, so I want to wish Everyone warm festival.”
A Full program guide and tickets: www.palacefilms.com.au.
