From this year, the event will take place in parallel to Marco Muller’s festival running from November 9-17, with the difference that in addition to having its own venue (Casa Alice), it will run year round.

“Rome’s Film Festival’s ten days will only be the beginning of a journey which will last 365 days and will see schools and the internet be involved,” explained artistic director Gianluca Giannelli.

The two festivals will be collaborating for the launch of Breaking Dawn II, the latest film to come out as part of the Twilight series. Alice was the first to bring the film series to the attention of the Italian public. On November 13, 24 hours of nonstop fun has been planned featuring screenings of films, games and events.

“Another important event will be Disney movie Wreck-it Ralph,” announced co-director Fabia Bettini. “Following this, just like what we did for Twilight, we will be presenting the first film in a new series, Beautiful Creatures, in which the main character is a girl with supernatural powers.

The competition element will remain central to Alice in the city, which will this year be raising audience ages to cater to a university public. “We will try and tell the story of new and independent cinema, showing the vivacity of filmmaking from places like Belgium and South America,” said Giannelli.

Fourteen films will be competing, among which six are directing debuts. Four of these will also be enjoying their worldwide premieres: Pulce non c'è by Giuseppe Bonito, Jeunesse, by Justine Malle, daughter of Louis, La pasiòn de Michelangelo, based in Pinochet’s Chile, and hors concours The little prince 3D by Pierre-Alain Chartiere. Among other competing films are Spanish Animals by Marçal Forés (reminiscent of Donnie Darko featuring a teddy bear), Belgian Kid by Fien Troch, Danish You And Me Forever by Kaspar Munk and Baby Girl, an Irish American production filmed in the Bronx. Casa Alice will also be welcoming the general public and the press in a series of meetings on film careers called "Gli anni in tasca" (years in our pockets), in partnership with Giuseppe Piccioni (Il rosso e il blu [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

With its own budget of €300,000, Alice in the city has been financed independently by MiBAC, Department of Youth, the Rome Chamber of Commerce as well as other private investors. "Having been made autonomous, we begin a totally new adventure, giving our festival a great push forward,” concluded Giannelli. The best of luck Alice.

(Translated from Italian)