Set in the unparalleled shadows of Sicily's spectacular Mount Aetna, the medieval hilltop village of Taormina will host the Taormina Film Festival from June 29 - July 7. As an encore performance to his recent celebrated screening at the Cannes glamourfest, Zoetrope's revered StarFather, Francis Ford Coppola's magnificent Apocalypse Now Redux will be presented on July 4th in the Italian town's historic 7,000-seater Greek amphitheatre. Also, being screened on July 4th will be Joel Schumacher's Tigerland, another Vietnam movie about the ferocious training of young US soldiers headed for combat. Other silver screen highlights of the non-competitive festival include Ivan Reitman's Evolution and Michael Apted's Enigma.

Artistic director Felice Laudadio said that he regretted that this year the festival would not be screening any new Italian titles. "I didn't think the Italian films I saw were of a high enough standard for Taormina," said the former Venice chief, who is also the head of Cinecitta Holding and the director of Italian film festival St. Vincent. "[Other films] were not ready yet or else may be going to Venice," he added. Overseas fare coming to Sicily includes: The Anniversary Party, by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming; Steward Sugg's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Richard Parry's debut, South West 9. Further titles screening include Ian Sharp's Ms Caldicot's Cabbage War, starring Pauline Collins; David Cunningham's To End All Wars; Goodbye Casanova, a feature debut from special effects expert Mauro Borrelli; and Michael Petroni's Till Human Voices Wake Us, with Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pierce.

In special festival sidebars, there will be midnight screenings of newly restored films by legendary Italian directors including: Ettore Scola, Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti. In retrospectives, there will be dedications to Luigi Comencini, the late Italian comedian Massimo Troisi (The Postman), and a showcase for young Sicilian directors. The Closing Night film is yet to be announced.

The Films

Evolution, Ivan Reitman
Enigma, Michael Apted
The Hole, Nick Hamm
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Stewart Sugg
South West 9, Richard Parry
Anniversary Party, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming
Apocalypse Now Redux, Francis Ford Coppola
Ms. Caldicott's Cabbage War, Ian Sharp
Goodbye Casanova, Mauro Borrelli
Till Human Voices Wake Us, Michael Petroni
To End All Wars, David Cunningham
Tigerland, Joel Schumacher
The Edges of the Lord, Jurek Bogajevicz
Barbara James, Winston W Moxam
My Brother Tom, Dom Rotheroe