DAY ELEVEN November 13, 2005
Director Lasse Hallström's CASANOVA Serves as AFI FEST's Closing Night Gala
by Brent Simon
One night after one of his very first films, ABBA: THE MOVIE, closed the Aquafina Pure Vision Outdoor Screening Series with a special midnight showing at the Rooftop Village, director Lasse Hallström's latest film, CASANOVA, will serve as AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi's Closing Night Gala, sponsored by Los Angeles Magazine.
"CASANOVA is a wild and whimsical, cinematic tour de force," says Nancy Collet, AFI FEST's Director of Programming. "We're so looking forward to welcoming back Hallström, whose THE CIDER HOUSE RULES made its US premiere at AFI FEST in 1999."
The film--which will be released domestically by Touchstone in limited fashion on Christmas Day, and expand nationally from there--is set in 18th century Venice, and stars Heath Ledger as the legendary lothario Giacomo Casanova. Players beware, though--putting a contemporary spin on affairs is feisty writer Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller), the only woman ever to spurn Casanova's amorous advances. Suitably intrigued and smitten, our titular protagonist charges headlong into a romantic obstacle course, on a quest to prove himself meeting of Francesca's romantic ideals and worthy of her attention.
Produced by Mark Gordon, Betsy Beers and Leslie Holleran, and based on a script by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kimberly Simi from a story by Simi and Michael Cristofer (GIA), CASANOVA also stars Oliver Platt, Jeremy Irons and Lena Olin. While Casanova's exploits have been captured in dozens of incarnations on both the big and small screens, Hallström's version cuts to the befuddled heart of the man in a delightfully amusing romantic comedy confection.
The 7:00 p.m. screening at the Cinerama Dome will be the film's North American premiere, and the Oscar-nominated Hallström (CHOCOLAT, MY LIFE AS A DOG) couldn't be happier. "Being selected for Closing Night is a true honor," the director says. "AFI is such a great institution, and a champion of our craft. We're thrilled to be a part of their Festival."
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