Taormina Film Fest

5/11/2010 - Robert De Niro at the upcoming Taormina FilmFest
Robert De Niro will be honored with a special tribute at the upcoming Taormina Film Fest, taking place from June 12 to 18.
On June 13 , the award-winning actor will hold a Master Class for festival-goers and, later that night, receive the prestigious Taormina Arte Award on the stage of Taormina’s 2,300-year-old Teatro Antico.
Six times nominated for an Oscar, De Niro won his first Academy Award in 1975 (for Best Supporting Actor) and again in 1981. His rich repertory is replete with roles in which he plays some of the most famous gangsters in modern cinema: young don Vito Corleone in The Godfather - Part II, Noodles in Once Upon a Time in America, Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas and Sam “Ace” Rothstein in Casino. He also played Al Capone in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables. With a distinct inclination for comedy (King of Comedy, Brazil) he varied his dramatic performances with lighter roles toward the end of the 80s, achieving enormous popularity with his roles in Analyze This and Meet the Fockers.
A perfectionist renowned for his maniacal preparation on the characters to be interpreted, he has performed some of the most complex characters ever brought to the big screen: the disturbing Travis in Taxi Driver, the self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, psychopathic Max Cady in Cape Fear, the ruthless and melancholy criminal Neil in Heat. Even his Frankenstein, in Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 film, stands out for his humanity and compassion, like Satana in Angel Heart, a showcase for his natural charm and acting skill.
A new foundation joins the Taormina Film Fest in 2010, underlying the role of the city of Taormina as crucial cultural crossroads of Mediterranean culture.
The Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo, chaired by Avv. Prof. Emmanuele F.M. Emanuele, presents the Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo Award for Dialogue Between Cultures presented in association with The Hollywood Reporter.
Recipient of this year’s award on June 18, the festival’s closing night, will be Emir Kusturica, a major international director whose films underscore the complexity of the confrontation between different cultures. Emir Kusturica will be present for the entire duration of the festival and will hold a Master Class, preceded by the screening of two rare early films, The Brides Are Coming and Bar Titanic.