Welcome, Benvenuti to the 2009 Cathay Pacific Italian Film festival.

The 2008 Cathay Pacific Italian Film festival, the 13th event, was a great success.  Your feedback via the competition entry forms was wonderful to read and the vast majority of you loved the films.  So isn’t it fantastic that another year has passed and you can soon immerse yourself in yet more Italian cinema!

2009 is the 10th anniversary of Cathay Pacific’s role as the festival’s major supporter.  For ten years Cathay Pacific has given us the opportunity to travel to Europe to pick the best of Italian cinema for your enjoyment.  They deserve huge thanks for their support (grazie mille!), and you too can thank them by flying Cathay Pacific when you next visit Europe.

This year’s festival selection represents the broadest offering of films to date, continuing to fulfill my objective of extending the scope of the festival.  Whilst romantic comedies are my first choice for selection as I, like you, think the Italians make the best ‘romcoms’ in the business, I want to bring you other genres that demonstrate the rich variety of Italian cinema, including thrillers, documentaries, drama, comedy, dramatisations and historical drama.  These are all represented in this year’s festival; a line-up of films that offers something for everyone.

People regularly ask me which films I recommend that they watch.  My response: pick a time when you can indulge yourself with around two hours of great entertainment and go and see the film that is screening then.  I am certain you will not be disappointed.  Viva il cinema italiano!

To you, the patrons of the festival, buon divertimento! 

Cav. Tony Lambert
Director

PS.  Now you can get the cream of last year’s selection for your own collection. Check out the release of the 2008 DVD set.