ITALY TAKES CENTER STAGE IN INTERNATIONAL CINEMA IN WASHINGTON WITH THE SCREENING OF “IO CAPITANO” AT THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION

On the evening of February 21st, the Embassy of Italy in Washington, in collaboration with the Department of State, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the Middleburg Film Festival, and Italian Screens, hosted an exclusive screening of the film Io capitano by director Matteo Garrone at the MPA headquarters.

The film, produced by RaiCinema, Silver Lion for Best Director at the 80th Venice Film Festival and now nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, will be available in American theaters starting February 23rd.

"Italy, the leading country for the number of films winning Oscars for Best Foreign Film, confirms its role as a protagonist in the film industry," noted Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, expressing hope that Garrone's film will soon join the list of award-winning Italian films in Los Angeles.

The Ambassador also focused on the theme of the film, highlighting Italy's centrality in facing challenges related to migratory flows and more broadly its relationship with Africa.

Attending the screening of Matteo Garrone's film, the culmination of a series of initiatives carried out by Consulates General and Italian Cultural Institutes in the United States to support the film, were Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs; Stan McCoy, President and Managing Director of the Motion Picture Association EMEA; Roberto Stabile, Head of Special Projects at the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Italian Ministry of Culture; and Susan Koch, Executive Director of the Middleburg Film Festival.

Assistant Secretary Satterfield emphasized the importance of bilateral cultural collaboration in strengthening the bond between Italy and the United States and highlighted the role of cultural diplomacy in promoting peace and security, expressing appreciation for the actions of the Italian presidency of the G7.

Roberto Stabile praised the commitment of the Ministry of Culture to strengthen the distribution of Italian films abroad and underscored the importance of co-productions to enhance collaborations between the Italian and American film industries.

The Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Academy of Italian Cinema - David di Donatello Awards, promotes "Italian Screens," an initiative aimed at consolidating the distribution of Italian films in international markets, which will soon see further events in the United States.