Il Cinema Ritrovato

[senseabove]

Thank you! Glad I asked, as I'll definitely need to plan around that...

[senseabove]

Next question: are there theater maps anywhere (and/or pictures of the various theaters)? It looks like they've changed their entire website and the links that seem to be about the various venus I'm turning up in Google are now dead ends, and I haven't found anything on the new site yet.

[Balthazar]

You're right, a lot seems to have been moved. In terms of a map, last year's venues can at least be found via the 'look at the programme' download at the below link, albeit awkwardly spread over two pages. I assume a similar map will be published tomorrow.

https://ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/edizion ... b=overview

[senseabove]

Ah, I meant seat/venue maps, since we have to pick seats and sightlines/exits/bathrooms are relevant to that.

[jtarvainen]

Thanks for the heads-up. Does the system require the selection of a specific numbered seat for each screening?

[senseabove]

A London-based repertory listings website created an ICR scheduling spreadsheet that’s free after a few days or available now for a small donation. Title, runtime, theatre, format, and strand are listed. Check a box and add it to your schedule. Seems pretty useful at a glance!

[perkypat]

Thanks for the heads-up. Does the system require the selection of a specific numbered seat for each screening?

Yes. Before COVID it was turn up and grab a seat. Now it's become more popular, you choose a specific seat. Last 2 years they've sold half the seats in the first tranche and the other half in the second.

[jtarvainen]

Alright, thanks!

I just learned from a friend that those with the "Visconti" supporter pass can already get tickets to the screenings. I don't see this perk mentioned anywhere on the website. You'd think they would have wanted to advertise something like that?

[JamesF]

Two big things to bear in mind:

The Piazza Maggiore and Modernissimo are the other side of the city centre to the Piazzetta Pasolini and the venues around it (Sala Scorsese/Mastroianni, DAMSlab, etc), around 20 minutes' walk, more if you're a slow walker. The Jolly and Arlecchino are both somewhat in between (though closer to the Piazzetta), and the Europa is well out of the way of all of them. In any case, factor walking between venues into your plans.

Also to be factored in - introductions will almost always run long because of having to translate into Italian. So add 20 mins onto each film just to be on the safe side. (I fully intend for my Big Bad Sis intro to be as brief as possible so I can haul ass from the Europa to the Piazzetta for the carbon arc projection of The Adventures of Prince Achmed.)

And to reiterate what I said above, air conditioning is not really a thing in any of the screens (especially the Europa!), so bring a fan and stay hydrated.

[jtarvainen]

A question for those who have used the festival’s booking system before at the time it opens for regular festival pass holders: is it a good idea to even attempt to get all of one’s tickets (if the total amount is e.g. 10–20 tickets) in one go, or is it safer to go in small increments, even if one ends up back in the queue after each checkout?

I’m asking because I’ve had bad experiences before with booking systems under heavy load in which the shopping cart has been cleared and one has had to start all over again.

[perkypat]

A question for those who have used the festival’s booking system before at the time it opens for regular festival pass holders: is it a good idea to even attempt to get all of one’s tickets (if the total amount is e.g. 10–20 tickets) in one go, or is it safer to go in small increments, even if one ends up back in the queue after each checkout?

I’m asking because I’ve had bad experiences before with booking systems under heavy load in which the shopping cart has been cleared and one has had to start all over again.

Last year was fine, booked everything in one go. Year before, the whole system crashed, took a couple of days to sort out. They seem to be using last year's system, so I'd go for the whole thing, personally.

[jtarvainen]

Great, thanks!

[senseabove]

Well, got my Saturday tickets and one Sunday ticket, then the Sunday listings page starting throwing an error, so I clicked over to Monday listings, which also threw an error, but Tuesdays listings were fine, so I booked those, and now listings for every day but Saturday say "Errore ricerca abbonamento" and I can't book anymore tickets... Hope the screenings I want don't fill up while I'm on a very long flight, I guess.

[jtarvainen]

Yep, same here!

[jtarvainen]

I can now see Monday again

[senseabove]

Same, just in time for me to book tickets, pack up, and get in line to board… and have a fight delay announced. *sigh*

[perkypat]

Yes bit of a glitch, it's not Taylor Swift they should know how many accreditations they have sold. Still, managed to get everything I wanted, including the last ticket for Death of a Cyclist. Hope everyone got the screenings they wanted. Now to do it all over again on Monday!

[amberry]

What are the curios everyone's looking out for this year? Picked up 17 tickets the other day (including one 6 film day all in one cinema...), but curious whether I missed some obviously cool/one-off screening!

[perkypat]

What are the curios everyone's looking out for this year? Picked up 17 tickets the other day (including one 6 film day all in one cinema...), but curious whether I missed some obviously cool/one-off screening!

I always find value in the Cinemalibero strand. There's usually something there I've never heard of which turns out to be great. Or just choose a couple of screenings where you aren't familiar with the filmmaker/national cinema. The outdoor screenings in the Piazzeta are wonderful. Guess it depends on your interests, really.

[amberry]

I always find value in the Cinemalibero strand. There's usually something there I've never heard of which turns out to be great. Or just choose a couple of screenings where you aren't familiar with the filmmaker/national cinema. The outdoor screenings in the Piazzeta are wonderful. Guess it depends on your interests, really.

Yep, planned a lot around the Cinemalibero screenings, they all look fantastic. Also the singular Cottafavi screening which I'm very excited for. Wondering if anyone has any recommendations for the Daisuke Ito and/or Leisen screenings? I booked/will book a couple of each (Leisen off the back of a post earlier in this thread on rarer ones) but not sure what's worth a look in (but perhaps that's the joy of festivals...)

[DeprongMori]

I’m still traveling and haven’t really even looked at the schedule, let alone booked anything. I’m beginning to panic about not being able to get in to anything.

[senseabove]

FWIW, multiple people have told me that, aside from some hot tickets (e.g. The Devils, I expect), you mostly won't have trouble getting into things. They begin letting in folks who are waiting a few minutes before the screening starts and a ticket doesn't necessarily guarantee you your seat. You might not have a great seat, but you'll at least get in the theater. Unfortunately I've also been told several theaters have too many seats with really bad sightlines...

For Ito, I've heard one person say the silents are where it's at, but the ICR blurb is urging re-evaluation of his postwar films, and very few of them seem to have circulated much, so I'm curious... Being so Leisen-heavy, I'll be catching a lot of them just due to scheduling, since they're in the same theater.

For Leisen, Cradle Song and Swing High, Swing Low are the two real rarities. I'm reasonably sure the latter hasn't screened on a print anywhere in the past half century, if not longer. I've checked other Leisen retrospectives, and Paris in 2008 is the only time it was included, but that was reportedly the same awful telecine/VHS you can watch online now. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of Midnight, of course, Death Takes a Holiday, No Man of Her Own, Easy Living, and Hold Back the Dawn. The rest of the prints are all pretty rare, and Lady in the Dark in particular is reportedly a visually stunning film, even if Rogers isn't a great fit for the lead, so I'm looking forward to that print in particular.