The third edition will take place between the 22nd and the 31st October, and it will most probably obtain the same success obtained by the previous editions, which attracted a huge number of visitors (480,000 the first edition, 600,000 the second one), also thanks to the various parallel events which usually take place during the festival.

Like most film festivals, the Rome festival too hosts every year many screenings (670 in the 2007 edition), which are divided into various sections: firstly, the competitive section (divided in turn into Anteprima-Premi're and Cinema 2008), which comprises the movies in competition (winners are awarded with the Marc?Aurelio prise). While the Anteprima-Premi're section represents the most spectacular part of the festival, and it includes the most famous titles and names (in the last editions in this section we could find Into the Wild by Sean Penn and Elizabeth: the Golden Age by Shekar Kapur, while this year's edition will host The Duchess, with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes), Cinema 2008 is meant to be an important showcase for independent cinema, its creativity and its innovation power. And it is in this section that the last edition's winner, Juno, which has been one of the most successful movies last year, was included. This year Cinema 2008 will host 8 (Huit), a movie divided into 8 sections and inspired by the challenge launched by the United Nations to halve poverty in the world, and which has been realised, just to make some examples, by Gus Van Sant and Wim Wenders.

The festival hosts also other sections, which typify the Rome festival: Extra L'altro cinema, is a diversified section which has got a lot to offer to visitors: it is meant to highlight the innovation power of independent cinema and of documentaries, but it also hosts the retrospective on the performer receiving the lifetime achievement Acting Award. Furthermore, Extra is also an area in which visitors can meet actors and directors.

Another peculiarity of the Rome festival is that of giving importance to young people and children: the section Alice nella citt?, indeed, is entirely devoted to cinema for young people, and it is connected to various other parallel events, such as meetings and readings.

It is self-evident that the various sections can satisfy everyone, but if this was not enough, the festival is made even more interesting by the countless events which take place in Rome in this period. The section Occhio sul Mondo- Focus, which, since last year, is meant to show the peculiarities of a given country by celebrating its art, music, literature and obviously its cinema, this year will celebrate Brazil, which is living a period of great cultural ferment. Do not miss the big event in Navona Square, the 22nd of October, when Brazil will be celebrated through artists?, musicians? and dancers? exhibitions. Brazil will play an important role also in the screening rooms, with the premi're of 10 Brazilian movies and documentaries? retrospectives. Visitors will also have the possibility to get to know this country's art, thanks to the photographic exhibition dedicated to Pierre Verger and comprising 70 of his works.

Cinema and photography lovers will certainly enjoy Chromosomes. Cronenberg oltre il cinema, an exhibition displaying 50 images obtained from the frames of some of the director's most famous movies, as well as the photographic exhibition on Dino Risi, the great Italian director who recently passed away. Another interesting exhibition, C'era una volta il ?48, is meant to recall the second post-war cinema thanks to playbills, posters and documents of that time, and it is connected to a series of screenings of movies of that period.

Rome, the so-called eternal city, attracts every year many tourists coming from all over the world, thanks to its piazzas, its magnificent monuments and sights. It might be a bit expensive, and overcrowded, too, but you will surely find the best accommodation for you!

Info: Romacinemafest.it

Tickets: from 3,00 to 20,00 Euro

Date: 22nd-31st October 2008

Location: Rome, Italy