George Romero at Lucca Film Festival and Cinema Europe 2016

George Romero and the New American Horror
Lucca, Palazzo Ducale
March 26 / May 1, 2016

Lucca Film Festival and European Film 2016
unpublished in Italy Tribute to the father of horror cinema

Saturday, March 26, in the Ducal Palace of Lucca, is inaugurated George Romero and the New Horror American, the first exhibition of the Lucca Film Festival and European Film in 2016 , the event organized and supported by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca , chaired by Nicola Borrelli , to be held inLucca, Viareggio and Barga April 3 to 10 . The exhibition, organized by the Committee for New Events Lucca in collaboration with the festival and with the support of Societe Generale Bank , opens at 17:30 and is dedicated to George Romero, the director and screenwriter, master of horror, which will be the ‘ guest of honor at this year’s festival.

His debut film, Night of the Living Dead (1968), has become a cult film and, in a short time with its two sequels, Zombies (1979) and Day of the Dead (1985), has revolutionized cinema horror, paving the way for a genuine renewal of the genre. The Ducale Palace exhibition, curated by Paolo Zelati and Stefano Giorgi, offers for the first time in Italy forty items including posters, lobby cards and posters of the Italian original Romero film, in a well defined chronological order. It begins with the trilogy of the zombies, which, in the first exhibition hall, will be proposed posters and lobby cards. Night of the Living Dead , made with a fraction of the cost and shot in total independence, has a plot that is the archetype the same horror: a horde of undead siege to a country house where they barricaded seven people. Instead of revealing the face of danger courage and cohesion, the group (sample of American society and perhaps of humanity) is wiped out in one night, not so much because of the zombies As for his own foolishness. Shot in grainy black and white, with shoulder camera movements and starring non-professional actors, Night of the Living Dead deceives the viewer to witness a macabre documentary, while simple but brilliant is the invention of the zombies, the living dead , the last great myth of the horror of which rules and conventions are established: from behavior to viral contamination pandemic, up to how to discard it completely. The second film in the trilogy, where the disease has assumed epidemic proportions and zombies roam in a department store, also collaborated Dario Argento, writing the script and coproducendolo. The consumerism attack hits for violent radicalism, and satirical tone is enhanced by sound and visual counterpoints that combine truculent ironic. The lobby cards recreate these images stamped since then in more than a generation memory.

In the next room will be offered the posters, large two meters by 140, of the film Creepshow 1982, The Crazies 1973 and many more of those years. While close the exhibition, a tribute to New Horror American film strand of which Romero is considered the founding father, with a number of American original posters autographed by the most important actors and authors of the period (1968-85), among which Wes Craven, Herschell Gordon Lewis and Brian Yuzna. The pieces from the private collection of film critic Paolo Zelati are actual pictures taken care by the most important designers of the time. The exhibition will occupy the rooms of the Doge’s palace on the same days of music with Vista , the exhibition organized by Cluster, Association of Contemporary Music, to propose the designs of the first edition of unconventional International Prize for writing musical scores. The two exhibition routes have been developed thanks to the cooperation and the common will of the Festival and Cluster contaminating and intersect the figurative world of Romero and New Horror with live musical performances, thanks to some Cluster musicians who will perform in shows during some evenings, as the other side of the participants in the non-conventional writing Award were invited to meet and be inspired by the cinematic image of the father of the living dead.

Star of this edition of the Lucca Film Festival and European Film, George Romero will be in Lucca on April 8, in the evening, for the delivery of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the presentation of Zombie(Cinema Moderno). On the same occasion, the author will leave his footprints imprinted in the cement for the nascent “Walk of Fame” of Lucca Comics & Games, which will be part of not only the big names of the comic, but also the main fantastic imaginary personality. The 9 morning once again be held at the modern cinema, a master class, while the evening of April 10 will close the festival in Viareggio presenting Creepshow . The American director will also visit the exhibition in the Palazzo Ducale of Lucca . The program also includes a retrospective that will retrace the entire film career, from the debut film Night of the Living Dead (1968) until the recent Survival of the Dead – Survival Island (2009).

The Lucca Film Festival and Cinema Europe is among the leading events of the events organized and supported by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca and exhibits are organized by the Committee for New Events Lucca in collaboration with the Festival, with the support of Societe Generale Bank. It also relies on the support of Gesam Gas & Luce SpA, Pictet Bank, Banca Generali Private Banking, Carismi Bank, Banca del Monte di Lucca Foundation, Stonecycle, Il Ciocco SpA, Il Ciocco International Travel Service Srl, Balan Srl, Idrotherm 2000, Ministry for Arts and Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Tuscany Region, the City of Lucca, the City of Viareggio Province of Lucca and the Fondazione Sistema Toscana collaboration, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini and Puccini Museum – Christmas House, Visual Arts Center Foundation, CG Entertainment, Photolux Festival. Thanks Lucca Comics & Games, the Regional Directorate of Trenitalia, Unicoop Firenze and the Degree Course in Performing Arts and Civilization Department of Communication and Forms of Knowledge at the University of Pisa for your cooperation.