Press release
A complete retrospective and a major exhibition dedicated to the American Master of Horror
George A. Romero, the American director and screenwriter, the master of gruesome horror films, is the first guest of honor of the Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema 2016, taking place from the 3rd to the 10th of April in the Tuscan cities of Lucca and Viareggio. A complete film retrospective and a major exhibition will be dedicated to the Director, Writer & Editor of horror cult movies such as Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and The Crazies.
“I am really looking forward to meeting my fans at your wonderful Film Festival and in the meanwhile Stay Scared!”, stated Maestro Romero.
The Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema Europe directed by Nicola Borrelli, is one of the key events organized and sponsored by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca. The Festival also enjoys the support of Banca Pictet, Banca Generali Private Banking, Banca Carismi, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Gesam Gas&Luce, Stonecycle, Lucca In-Tec, the Region of Tuscany, the City of Lucca and the City of Viareggio, and the collaboration of the Comitato Nuovi Eventi per Lucca, the Chamber of Commerce of Lucca, the Province of Lucca, the Fondazione Sistema Toscana, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, Fondazione Centro Arti Visive and the Photolux Festival. The event is held under the patronage of MiBACT, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism.
Having paid tribute to David Lynch in 2014 and to David Cronenberg in the last edition, in 2016 the Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema dedicate one of its main sections to Maestro George Romero, who will in Lucca to take part in screenings, public events, conferences and the exhibition dedicated to his films. The tribute to the Master of Horror is curated by Paolo Zelati and Stefano Giorgi. Ever since his first feature film Night of the Living Dead – which was produced on a string with a budget of only $10,000 – Romero has become an iconic figure in the history of horror films, as well as being considered the father of “zombie movies”. After a nearly fifty-year career, very often Romero is not only a director but also a writer, editor and director of photography of his works.
The Feature Film Contest is among the many new features of the 2016 edition of the festival. Twelve works will compete in an Italian premiere in front of an international jury chaired by the Director of the Lisbon & Estoril Festival Paulo Branco, the Portuguese film producer well known for his collaboration with directors such as Wim Wenders, Manoel de Oliveira, Michel Piccoli and David Cronenberg. The selected films will compete for the prize for Best Film and Best European Film and be screened in Lucca and in Viareggio.
Romero’s following feature films will be screened: Night of the Living Dead (1968); There’s Always Vanilla (1971); Season of the Witch (1972); The Crazies (1973); Martin (1977); Dawn of the Dead (1978); Knightriders (1981); Creepshow (1982); Day of the Dead (1985); Monkey Shines (1988); Two Evil Eyes (1990), co-directed by Dario Argento; The Dark Half (1993); Bruiser (2000); Land of the Dead (2005); Diary of the Dead (2007); Survival of the Dead (2009).
The Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema is an annual event that celebrates cinematic culture. The Festival is able to engage an ever-growing public through screenings, exhibitions, conferences and performances, which range from mainstream to experimental cinema. Throughout its history, the Festival has excelled thanks to its ambitious and well-researched programming. The Festival has paid tribute to celebrated figures in the cinema world while at the same time rediscovering other notable names and identifying up-and-coming talents. The beautiful cities of Lucca and Viareggio contribute to the Festival’s appeal, serving as the backdrop to an event that has become a much awaited and not-to-be-missed happening in Italy and Europe.
Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema
(main office: via delle Tagliate II°, traversa I°, n 64 55100 Lucca); segreteria@luccafilmfestiva.it
Press Office Lucca Film Festival and Europa Cinema: PS Comunicazione di Antonio Pirozzi; pscomunicazione@gmail.com +393395238132
English: Tessa Wiechmann
External relations Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca: Marcello Petrozziello +39 (0)583 472627
