10/07/2003

French director, documentary-maker and writer Bertrand Tavernier is this year’s winner of the 22nd Sergio Amidei award for the best screenplay of the year for Laissez passer. This title was selected to open the review which runs from 24 July to 2 August in Gorizia.
Presided over by veteran Italian screenwriter Age, the illustrious jury that includes directors Ettore Scola, Franco Giraldi and Mario Monicelli, celebrated screenwriter Suso Cecchi D’Amico, film critic Paolo D’Agostini and actress Giovanna Ralli, selected a line up of auteur-driven titles with a strong message. The selection is largely European and includes multiple award winners like the socially committed Mondays in the Sun [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Il posto dell’anima, historical tales like Polanski’s Oscar-winning The Pianist [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and inward-looking films like Aki Kaurismaki’s The Man Without A Past [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Patrice Leconte’s touching L’homme du train [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Of course, this event would not be complete without comedies and this year’s programme includes Paolo Virzì’s My Name is Tanino, as well as the best of recent Italian production like Gabriele Salvatores’ Io non ho paura, Ferzan Ozpetek’s La finestra di fronte and Matteo Garrone’s The Embalmer.

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As well as the official competition, the Amidei event has a special prize for the best first film and this year’s competitors include Daniele Vicari with Velocità Massima and Luca Vendruscolo for Piovono mucche. There is also a short film section.
The review will end on Sunday 3 August with the screening of Wolfgang Becker’s magnificent Goodbye Lenin!.