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New label CultFilms launches with Sophia Loren double on DVD & Blu-ray
CultFilms is a brand new independent label merging two of the original world cinema specialist distributors, Nouveaux Pictures and Argent Films, which will be incorporated into the new label. CultFilms will create luxury releases of quality foreign and arthouse films. Every title will be a high end, collectible product, and extras will feature one or more in-depth documentary.
CultFilms will launch with two award-winning masterpieces starring screen siren Sophia Loren – Two Women, directed by neo-realist master Vittoria De Sica and A Special Day from revered director Ettore Scola. These masterworks of world cinema are Loren's two highest rated films on IMDB and will be presented for the first time ever in pristine HD, sourced from a restored negative, they will be released in October.
CultFilms will sponsor a screening at London's ICA of Ettore Scola's award-winning A Special Day with a panel discussion on 23 October 2016.
Cultfilms has purposefully curated a collection of all award-winning Sophia Loren classics, which it will release subsequently. These include the Oscar winning (Best Foreign Language Film), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (featuring the epoch-making Sophia Loren striptease), the double Oscar nominated (Best Actress & Best Foreign Language Film), Marriage Italian Style, and Boccaccio 70, creating the most definitive Sophia Loren collection ever.
CultFilms is proud to have been instrumental in the 4K restoration of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle Of Algiers by award-winning Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Casbah Entertainment. To celebrate its 50th Anniversary this multi award-winning, seminal war film was especially selected by the panel to screen at the 2016 Venice Film Festival with a red carpet event, introduced by the director of the festival, with the influencer and producer Saadi Yacef and with Mrs. Pontecorvo attending. The film will be released in December complete with a new exclusive documentary on the restoration.
In 2017 CultFilms will curate and release a complete collection of Federico Fellini masterpieces such as La Dolce Vita, and 81/2, a much lauded work that redefined filmmaking.
Two Women [La Ciociara] (1960)
Adapted from the eponymous novel by Alberto Moravia, Two Women tells the story of a beautiful young widow Cesira (Loren) and her twelve-year-old daughter as they struggle to survive in war ravaged Italy. In the hope that Cesira can protect her daughter from the horrors of war they leave Rome to avoid the bombings and seek refuge in rural Italy, but there's no escaping the devastating tragedy of war.
This neo-realist classic won Sophia Loren (El Cid) a Best Actress Oscar, the first and only actor or actress to win for a foreign-language film performance. Loren also won Best Actress in Cannes for Two Women which also won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film on its release and also stars acclaimed actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless).
Two Women, from celebrated director Vittorio De Sica (The Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D.) is presented for the very first time on UK DVD and Blu-ray in pristine HD, sourced from a restored negative, on 24th October 2016 at the RRP of £19.99 for the DVD and £19.99 for the Blu-ray.
Two Women is presented in both the Italian version with improved (switchable) English subtitles and the English spoken audio track. (No other worldwide release has these two options)
Vittorio D. – a documentary on Vittorio De Sica, with participations from the likes of Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh etc.
Sophia, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – a documentary on Sophia Loren. Much more than a DVD Bonus, this exquisite hour-long documentary is woven around an exclusive candid personal interview with Loren, it includes never before seen footage of Loren's life and features her family and close friends such as Woody Allen, Giorgio Armani and many others
A Special Day [Una Giornata Particolare] (1977)
CultFilms presents the definitive version of A Special Day, from director Ettore Scola (Ugly, Dirty, Bad), a rarely seen masterpiece starring one of cinema's legendary couples Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita).
Set in Rome on the day of Hitler's momentous 1938 state visit to Mussolini, while the rest of the residents are at the parade, housewife Antonietta (Loren) reluctantly stays at home to do chores, only to find her mysterious gay neighbour Gabriele (Mastroianni) has also chosen to abstain from the political propaganda rally. Or was he told to stay away? Their chance meeting will change their perceptions of love, politics and life forever.
Painstakingly restored to its original specifications, the film will be available for the first time as an HD release from a 4K scan and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 31st October 2016 at the RRP of £19.99 for the DVD and £19.99 for the Blu-ray. The unusual colour palette of A Special Day was specially conceived by Scola and the celebrated cinematographer Pasqualino de Santis (Death in Venice) is reinstated according to the director's instruction in this CultFilms release.
A Special Day is presented in both the Italian version with improved (switchable) English subtitles and the English spoken audio track. (No other worldwide release has these two options)
Ridendo E Scherzendo – an award-winning documentary on Scola, completed a few days before the great director passed away