The classy pasta brand has made its way through show business since 2008, producing its first film ‘L’Alchimia del Gusto’ by Edo Tagliavini with Alessandro Preziosi.
From then on the company has chosen to develop a Brand Entertainment project investing its resources to support the film-industry, rather than making banal commercials.
In 2009 ‘Questione di Gusti’ is directed by Pappi Corsicato with Iaia Forte and Ennio Fantastichini.
The next Pasta Garofalo short-film allows Valeria Golino to debut as director with ‘Armandino e il Madre’.
After that, ‘The Wholly Family’ that Terry Gilliam has presented at London’s BFI.

The venue was delightful and cosy, like a meeting around the fireplace amongst friends.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has hosted this extraordinary experience: the screening followed by a small Q&A with Terry Gilliam and Luca de Luca – producer of the film as the Executive Sales Manager of Pasta Garofalo – concluded with a scrumptious lunch in company of Terry’s frolicking. No need to say the pasta served was Garofalo.
After the Italian premiere, which took place in Rome at the end of May and several Festival participations, the film aims to accomplish the European Film Award 2011 for which it has received a nomination.

The film shot in only one week stars Italian actress Cristiana Capotondi, British Douglas Dean and the debuting American child Nicolas Connolly.  Sergio Solli, Renato De Maria, Nico Cirasola and Antonino Iuorio were amongst the other Italian actors.

The film produced by Gilliam’s daughter, Amy, draws into a world of fantasy. More specifically in Terry’s grotesque wonderland.
His trademark is recognisable on the spot. Pulcinella becomes a fiend a creature who leads a young child through a descent to the underworld, a trip in a fairytale of doom travelling through the existing Neapolitan locations such as San Gregorio Armeno, Piazza Cardinale Sisto Riario, the Vanivitelliana House and the Doll Hospital. Terry Gilliam’s established crew has once again out-proven itself, from cinematographer Nicola Pecorini to costume designer Gabriella Pescucci, not to mention Daniele Sepe who took care of the enthralling and mood setting soundtrack.

The Executive Sales Manager of Pasta Garofalo Luca de Luca, is thrilled by his company’s enterprise: “Cinema is the ideal place, through which we may support the brand’s values without jeopardising them. We do this through a creative platform which is followed by an increasing number of consumers, not just in Italy but also in the United States and in England.”
Furthermore he comments on the project developed with Terry Gilliam: “I believe there is great appeal in the fact the project has been financed by a company producing Pasta. Italy is the place in which the greatest cinema of all times has been made and there seems to be a void in present times, due to the fact the film-industry receives no support for new productions and I find it very upsetting. Therefore it’s exciting when this gap is filled by private companies that use cinema to promote their product in an artistic way, avoiding the habitual advertising. I find it marvellous.”

And since the company is now unstoppable in this quest to avail the Italian cinematographic realm, already a fifth production is ready: the short-film directed by the writer Erri De Luca ‘Di là dal vetro’.

by Chiara Spagnoli