The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is honoured to welcome Academy Award ® Winning director GABRIELE SALVATORES and producer MAURIZIO TOTTI who will present selected screenings of their new film, QUO VADIS, BABY? *

Gabriele Salvatores, born in Naples, debuted as a theatre director before directing his first feature, MARRAKECH EXPRESS (1989) and then TURNÉ (1990) which both featured actor-friends Diego Abatantuono and Fabrizio Bentivoglio who would feature in many of Salvatores’ later films. In 1991, Salvatores received great international praise for the delightful comedy MEDITERRANEO, which won an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Film. PUERTO ESCONDIDO (1992), from the eponymous novel by Pino Cacucci, starred the luminous Valeria Golino and in the following year Salvatores directed the moving drama SUD (SOUTH, 1993), featuring Silvio Orlando. He moved into an experimental period which included NIRVANA (1997), a science fiction film starring Christopher Lambert; the surreal DENTI (TEETH, 2000); and AMNÉSIA (2002), the latter two both featuring Sergio Rubini. IO NON HO PAURA (I’M NOT SCARED, 2003) from the Niccolò Ammaniti novel was a huge local and International success and was nominated for a Golden Bear at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in 2003. The noir thriller QUO VADIS, BABY? is the latest film from Salvatores and will screen exclusively at the Lavazza Italian Film Festival.

Maurizio Totti, born in Conselice (Ravenna, Italy), has enjoyed a long and successful career as producer and talent agent having produced many films including THE CAMELS (I CAMMELLI, 1988) by Giuseppe Bertolucci, IN BARCA A VELA CONTROMANO (1997) by Stefano Reali, CHILDREN OF HANNIBAL (FIGLI DI ANNIBALE, 1998) by Davide Ferrario, THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by Rolando Colla, THE ICE RINK (200) by Jean-Philippe Toussaint and LA CURA DEL GORILLA, by Carlo Sigon (2006). Working with Gabriele Salvatores, they have made QUO VADIS, BABY? I'M NOT SCARED, AMNESIA, TEETH, NIRVANA, SOUTH, PUERTO ESCONDIDO and they are currently in pre-production on THE RULES OF LOVE, based on a novel by Meir Shalev called “The Loves of Judith". Their company Colorado Film produces and promotes feature films, video-clips, short films and commercials, while sister-company Moviement - considered one of Italy's leading talent Agencies – manages established talent including Gabriele Salvatores, Roman Polanski and Stefania Rocca among others.

*Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane only