After the overwhelming success of the encounters with cinema greats arranged by the RomeFilmFest’s EXTRA section, “Viaggio nel cinema americano” (“A Journey Through American Cinema’) returns in 2008, curated by Antonio Monda and Mario Sesti and presented by the RomeFilmFest, Studio Universal (Sky), and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. After the legendary Tim Burton, who spoke to a sold-out audience, next on the Auditorium stage is one of the most creative and non-conformist figures in contemporary film: John Turturro.

The date is February 8^that 9 pm in the Teatro Studio at the Auditorium, where the actor who got his start with a bit part in Scorsese’s Raging Bull, only to become a favourite of directors like Spike Lee and the Coen brothers, will meet the critics and the public in an evening event which will feature screenings of his most memorable film sequences as an actor, but also scenes of films he has directed since he started working behind the camera in the early 90s (Mac, Illuminata, Romance & Cigarettes).

One of the American actors who most deeply identifies with his Italian roots, a performer with a broad and highly expressive range, who can dominate the shots with flashes of grotesque madness or else icy stares and poses out of the classic crime movie tradition, Turturro has made almost 80 films in just over 20 years, working in Italy, as well, with directors such as Franco Rosi (The Truce).

Film lovers who take part in this event, like the others in the series, will not only have the opportunity to hear great actors and directors talk about themselves, their work, and the unique interweaving of biography and fiction that constitutes the very identity of artists who devote their careers to cinema; they will also have the chance to speak directly with the stars, contributing their own questions, comments, and feedback.

The tickets, priced 4 euros, will be on sale as of Saturday, January 26^th, at the ticket office at the Auditorium Parco della Musica (open 11am until 8pm); they may also be purchased online on the website www.listicket.it.

‘Viaggio nel cinema americano’ continues on Studio Universal as well. To recapture the emotions of the live event, don’t miss Sidney Lumet on late-evening television on Fridays in February. The live recording of the event dedicated to him as part of the 2007 program for ‘A Journey Through American Cinema’ will be aired along with a special created by the channel, featuring an exclusive interview with the filmmaker and a review of his most famous films.