The Circuit

by Addie Morfoot
In its second year, Rome Film Festival has maintained its reputation for seat-of-the-pants organizing and operating style.  While locating the press credential office took about a half hour and obtaining the pass only took two minutes, determining whether or not a ticket was needed for press screenings and conferences was a major ordeal. Neither the fest information desk, the press office staff or the security guards seemed to have any answers in English or Italian.

Finally a member of the foreign press informed a crowd of confused journalists that tickets were only needed for press screenings, not press conferences, which led to an hour and a half wait for the few screening vouchers that remained. (By Saturday, a total of 42,000 tickets had been distributed for various screenings and events.)

Once that wait was over and jet lag had fully set in it, I used my credentials to get a discount at a nearby tasty Italian restaurant and to secure a seat at Friday's press conference for the Premiere section opener, "Elizabeth The Golden Age," featuring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, helmer Shekhar Kapur and producer Tim Bevan.

While waiting in the Petrassi auditorium I heard the tail end of  "24" creator-producer Joel Surnow's press Q&A. Although not at the fest with a film, Surnow did reveal that "the plan is to make the (Fox) show into a movie after the series ends."

Seats began to fill towards the end of Surnow's chat and just before Blanchett, Rush, Kapur and Bevan took the stage.

Initially the crowd asked the "Elizabeth" cast a slew of questions concerning the making of the film, including how Rush and Kapur convinced Blanchett to do the role,  "I knew Geoffey was interested and Shekhar kept talking about it," Blanchett said. "So I said what's the story about? And once I began to see this fantastic story come to life, I was in."

After the filmmaking questions ended, the cringe-worthy ones began. 

When Blanchett was asked if as a famous actress felt the same confinement Elizabeth felt as a queen and if she expected an Oscar for the part, Blanchett wisely put an end to the inquiry with a quick "No and no."

Shortly after when asked who she would like to portray in the current Royal English family, the actress again rapidly put an end to the inane query by answering, "Harry. Although I think I might have missed my opportunity."

On Sunday, during the press conference for "Rendition" with Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, director Gavin Hood and writer Kelley Sane, Gyllenhaal actually confronted a member of the audience about a question regarding the director's decision to hire the ever-pleasant Meryl Streep in a ruthless role. Before Hood could respond, Gyllenhaal used his mic to inform the man that "that may be the stupidest question that I have ever heard." Hood quickly interjected with a gracious, drawn out explanation on his decision to cast Streep. Witherspoon, who looked jet lagged and not in the mood for yet another press Q&A, seemed happy when the 45-minute session was finally over.

Blanchett, Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal have not been the only marquee talent seen during the fest's first four days.  On Saturday night Francis Ford Coppola made a big splash when his first helming project in 10 years, "Youth Without Youth" preemed. Helmer posed on the red carpet outside the fest's main auditorium with daughter Sofia Coppola and cast members including Tim Roth and Alexandra Maria Lara. The night before, Sophia Loren also hit the carpet on fest's Opening Ceremony Concert and Tribute To Loren.

Despite the initial confusion and lack of screening tickets, there is little to complain when it comes to Rome fest.  After all the festival is in the Eternal City. So no matter how frustrated one may get, some of the best food and wine is just down the street.