Cinema of Italy

One of the last icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, whose death at the age of 95 was announced on Jan. 16, was famed for her biting wit and sensual beauty.

Bringing much-needed glamour and pizzazz to the post-war period, she stirred hearts whether as an onscreen gypsy, queen or single mother.

Italian actress Monica Vitti, best known for her starringroles in films by Michelangelo Antonioni, has died aged 90, the culture ministry said on Feb. 2.

"Goodbye Monica Vitti, goodbye queen of Italian cinema. Today is a truly sad day, we have lost a great artist and a great Italian," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a statement.

The Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival set to begin September 1, will be awarded to one film among 21 contenders from across the globe.

Athens will host an Italian film festival on February 12-22 on the Greek Film Archive and Film Museum's online platform.

Six Italian comedies and dramas where food is very much the star - such as "Un americano a Roma" and "Brutti, sporchi e cattivi" - are being screened by the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens on its online platform through December 9. The series of screenings is part of its ongoing online autumn festival, which also includes more films, dance shows and other events.

The Athens Fashion Film Festival returns for a second year of screenings, this time at the Technopolis cultural center's amphitheater in the downtown neighborhood of Gazi. The festival is organized in collaboration with the network of Fashion Film Festivals worldwide.

Rome-based Turkish director Ferzan Özpetek's latest film "La Dea Fortuna" (The Fortune Goddess) was promoted at a press screening.

A special screening was held at the Quattro Fontane cinemas in the Italian capital Rome for the 13th feature film in Özpetek's career, which is a romantic drama.

The 1962 Italian cult-comedy film "Il Sorpasso" captures two days in the lives of Bruno Cortona (Vittorio Gassman) and Roberto Mariani (Jean-Louis Trintignant) as they travel across Lazio and Tuscany. Directed by Dino Risi, the film is a popular example of commedia all'italiana.

Bernardo Bertolucci, whose epic "The Last Emperor" won nine Oscars and who influenced generations of filmmakers with other groundbreaking works such as "The Conformist" and "Last Tango in Paris," in which he explored politics and sexuality through personal storytelling and audacious camera work, has died. He was 77, reported Variety.com

Acclaimed Turkish director and scriptwriter Ferzan Özpetek, who lives in Italy, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 55th International Antalya Film Festival this year.