The President of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Goffredo Bettini, and the President and Superintendent of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Bruno Cagli, announced at a press conference held friday at the Auditorium Parco della Musica that the third edition of the RomeFilmFest would run from 22 to 31 October instead of 2 to 11 October. The decision to change the dates was made jointly by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, in response to the concerns expressed by the Italian film community.

‘The problem would never have been solved,’ Mr. Bettini declared, ‘without the cooperation of conductor Antonio Pappano, the president of the Accademia, Bruno Cagli, and the orchestra.’

‘We sat down with Pappano,’ explained Mr. Cagli, ‘and decided that after an initial number of concerts we would suspend the season for the duration of the RomeFilmFest and resume at the beginning of November. Santa Cecilia has outdone itself.’

Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni’s letter to Goffredo Bettini

‘I was very pleased to learn of the new dates set for the third edition of the RomeFilmFest. This is the result we have worked hard in the last few weeks to achieve, alongside the Fondazione Musica per Roma and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia; I would like to express my appreciation to both for their efforts to come to a joint accord.

As we have always stated, the RomeFilmFest was conceived to promote and sustain cinema in our country in full collaboration with other agencies and institutions.  It is my belief, ‘ Veltroni concluded, ‘that the third edition of our event, which has received international acclaim and recognition, will continue in this direction, and certainly match the success and the excellent results of the festival in 2006 and 2007.’