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2014 ISCHIA GLOBAL FILM & MUSIC FEST UNVEILS ITS 12TH EDITION IN CANNES

The world premiere of Richard Raymond's Desert Dancer starring Freida Pinto and Tom Cullen will open the Ischia Global Film & Music Fest's 12th edition on July 13th, it was announced here today by Fest founder and producer Pascal Vicedomini. He was joined at the Cannes Film Festival's Italian Pavillion by Fest board member, the noted Italian producer Marina Cicogna, Honorary President Darina Pavlova and the Fest's Mistress of Ceremonies, the French actress Clotilde Courau (La Vie En Rose).

''We are grateful to our friends at Relativity Media who have given us the extraordinary honor of globally premiering 'Desert Dancer,' a film which interweaves the themes of freedom of artistic expression and the fight for human rights in an incredible story inspired by true events,'' said Vicedomini. "This work of art underlines the well-established humanitarian commitment of our international festival."

Vicedomini noted that the Ischia Global Film & Music Fest runs through July 20th, and is chaired this year by producers Mark Canton (USA) and Trudie Styler (UK). Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, will oversee the festival's Cinema Social Forum: 'Supporting Young People's Employment'.

Desert Dancer (2014, UK) is a musical film set during the 2009 riots against the Iranian regime, and is based on the story of Afshin Ghaffarian and his dream of becoming a ballet dancer despite a government ban. The film's choreography is by Akram Khan, who also created the opening ceremonies of the London Olympic Games. Indian superstar Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Tom Cullen (The Last Days on Mars), are the film's stars; Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi (who was honored at the 2012 Ischia Global Fest) and Reece Ritchie co-star.

Having focused on India, China, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Argentina and France in its prior editions, the 2014 Ischia Global Fest turns its eye to Bulgaria, the most surprising EU country from a cinematic point of view, as evidenced by the highly awaited blockbuster The Expendables 3 which was filmed at the New Boyana Studios and produced by Avi Lerner and Sylvester Stallone (a regular at the Sofia studio).

"Today Bulgaria offers low-cost cinema production opportunities whose example could be followed in the south of Italy," declared Giancarlo Carriero, President of Ischia's International Arts Academy. Lerner, who is credited for this result, will soon present a documentary about his studios, where such global box office hits as '300: Rise of An Empire' and the 'Expendables' franchise have been made noted Darina Pavlova, thus confirming that Ischia audiences will see additional footage of the film, following the amazing screening of the film in Cannes with the incredible cast on the Croisette (including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas and Jason Statham).

Among the most anticipated sections of Ischia Global 2014 is the 'Production Summit,' produced in collaboration with the Italian Trade Commission and Anica, a highly-charged confluence between the Hollywood and Italian communities. This is a technical event coordinated by Aurelio De Laurentiis (Filmauro) and Luigi Abete (Cinecittà Studios), which in the past was attended by such major representatives of the world cinema industry as Harvey Weinstein, Jeremy Thomas, Lawrence Bender, Thomas Langmann, Nicolas Chartier, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley and Tarak Ben Ammar.

Furthering the subject of "young people's education," this year's Acting Masterclass will be headed by the noted Italian coach Francesca De Sapio, backed by an exceptional faculty including Paul Haggis, Steven Zaillian, Bille August and Pietro Scalia.

Paolo Virzì ("Human Capital") and Marc Webb ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2") will be given Ischia Global Awards as "Directors of the Year."

Other Festival projects include 'From Street Art to ... Cinema' which is being held in collaboration with the international association 'Meeting of Styles,' as twelve young graffiti artists create works on the theme of human rights for the RFK Center for Human Rights; and 'Selfie – A Whole Story in One Minute' presents the work of many up and coming screenwriters who tell their own stories in 60 seconds or less to a board of artists presided over by Carlo and Enrico Vanzina, Sabrina Paravicini andEnrico Lucherini.

On the music side, Michael Nyman (UK) will receive the coveted 'Ischia William Walton Music Award,' which celebrates the well-known English composer who chose to live in Ischia. ''The theoretical encounter between Walton and Nyman will take place on a cinematic level," explained Tony Renis, Honorary Chairman of Ischia International Arts Academy, "as their work on film scores have often been compared.'' Audiences may recall that Nyman, who has collaborated on several films with Peter Greeneway, was awarded an Oscar for the score of Jane Campion's The Piano (Campion is President of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival's Jury). Prior Walton awards winners include Sir Tim Rice, Burt Bacharach, Sting, Gustavo Santaolalla, Elliot Goldenthal, Jan Kaczmarek and Luis E. Bacalov.

Presented with the support of the Department of Tourism of the region, the EU and the Director General Cinema of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the 2014 Ischia Global Fest is sponsored by BNL - Group BNP Paribas, 3 Italy, Meridiana and Casino International (Varna, Bularia), as well as by Alilauro, Memar, Snav, AMBI Pictures and Mediaset (IRIS is the event's official channel).

The Festival's Honorary Committee includes Lady Monika Bacardi, Amanda Eliasch, Terry Gilliam, Michael Radford and Lina Wertmuller; actors Christoph Waltz, Vanessa Redgrave, Samuel L. Jackson, and Franco Nero; producers Paula Wagner, Rick Nicita and Fulvio Lucisano; musicians Sting, Zucchero, Gino Paoli, Andrea Griminelli and Recording Academy (The Grammy's) President Neil Portnow.