After its success at the Venice International Film Festival, The Italian TV Festival (ITTV), organized by Good Girls Planet – a women-owned company founded by entertainment journalists Valentina Martelli (CEO), Cristina Scognamillo, and Francesca Scorcucchi – and MTLA, the Los Angeles branch of the Italian advertising company Armando Testa, returns to Los Angeles, from October 30 to November 2, 2021.
The festival opens with a family-focused event on October 30 dedicated to animation in San Pedro’s Little Italy, with the international premiere of Pinocchio and Friends by Rainbow Group, founded by legendary Italian animator and comic book author Iginio Straffi. 44 and Winx Club, also created by Straffi, will be screened, and Straffi will be presented with the Kinéo-ITTV Award.
Additional programming for the evening includes Puffins, featuring the voice of Johnny Depp, Arctic Friends, series by ILBE Group Productions, and Mila the animated short about a little girl who survived bombings during WWII in Italy, by Cinzia Angelini. Watch the trailer for Pinocchio below:
REElated: AFI Fest 2021 announces full festival lineup
ITTV’s schedule of events continues on November 1 at the NeueHouse in Hollywood. A day dedicated to US audiovisual industry executives that will be able to see a selection of trailers and teasers of the best Italian television series, including Gomorrah, Petra, Domina, Anna, Romulus, Devils, Carosello Carosone, Leonardo, and Non mi lasciare (Fremantle, Rai Fiction, Sky, and Cattleya).
In the program in-depth panel discussions with leading international executives, including:
- From Home Video to Web TV – A conversation with legendary producer Vin Di Bona and distributor Niccolò Messina of Jungo TV
- Opening Boundaries – The Influence of Global Television and How These Changes Affect International Production – A conversation with Ted Miller, Head of Global Television for CAA, Matteo Perale, co-founder Wiip, Lena Roklin, Talent Manager for Luber Roklin Entertainment, Lorenzo De Maio, De Maio Entertainment, Matt Brennan, Television Editor for the Los Angeles Times, and Jeremy Spiegel Executive Producer of Extra.
The Festival will close on November 2 with a gala celebration, featuring the 2021 ITTV Awards. This year’s ITTV Award honorees are: actress and director Valeria Golino, best-known to English audiences for her role in the Academy Award-winning Best Picture Rain Man and currently in the second season of AppleTV+’s hit series The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon; restaurateur, winemaker, author, television personality, and songwriter Joe Bastianich; and Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and author, Tiziano Ferro. Ferro is one of the best-selling Italian artists also in Latin America.
“This year we wanted to highlight the importance of animation and independent content from Italian storytellers working in the United States,” said Valentina Martelli, ITTV co-founder and CEO of Good Girls Planet. “These creators tell the story of social change. We know that what they make, whether it is documentaries, shorts, TV series, or digital content, has not only artistic value but also commercial potential. This year stories focus on diversity, acceptance, and gender equality”.
- Ferro by Beppe Tufarulo: The unfiltered story of the life of musician Tiziano Ferro, one of the most beloved Italian performers in the world, streaming now on Amazon Prime
- One of Us by Chiara Tilesi: Showcases the exceptional stories of exceptional Italian women living and working in the United States, including actress Stefania Spampinato and the social entrepreneur and philanthropist Elisa Sednaoui
- Giving Back Generation, also by Chiara Tilesi: Examines the debut of the platform TaTaTu on social issues, featuring, among others, superstars Selena Gomez and Nina Dobrev
- The Portrait Artist: Don Bachardy by Tina Mascara and Guido Santi: Tells the complex story of the artist Don Bachardy, one of the last great living portrait artists and companion of the novelist Christopher Isherwood
- Next One by Guglielmo Poggi and Marta Pozzan: Tells the story of violence and abuse against women in the fashion and entertainment industry
- MIA, also by Marta Pozzan: Deals with the themes of modern romantic relationships
- Corpo a corpo by Maria Iovine: The story of the battles and victories faced by Paralympic champion Veronica Yoco Plebani
- Our Dad, Danielle by Sarah Kin: The story of a professional who at 57 faces the conflicted decision to transition in conservative Texas.
“I believed in this initiative from the beginning,” says Silvia Chiave, Consul General of Italy, sponsoring the closing gala. “An Italian TV festival in Los Angeles was long overdue. It showcases the growing interest of American audiences and producers in our content. ITTV promotes not only our TV, but also our authentic products, lifestyles, and territories.”
That’s why an important space will also be reserved for the collaboration with ENIT Italian National Tourist Board, with Toscana Film Commission and Veneto Film Commission, for the promotion of the Italian territory as the natural set and ‘protagonist’ of many TV series and films.
