New York University – Florence in collaboration with the Assessore of Youth Policies of the Comune di Firenze presents the fourth film series dedicated to Italian Cinema focusing on contemporary Italian Identity

Auditorium al Duomo, Via de’Cerretani 56r

9:00 PM to midnight

February 6

I Primi della lista, by Roan Johnson

Special guest: Roan Johnson, director

February 7

Terraferma, by Emanuele Crialese

Special guest: Simona Paggi, editor

February 13

La kryptonite nella borsa, by Ivan Cotroneo

Special guest: Ivan Cotroneo, director

February 14

Scialla!, by Francesco Bruni

Special guest: Marco Spoletini, editor

Cinema Giovane is an insightful way to study the evolution of Italian history, society, ideology and behavior.

Cinema Giovane hopes to introduce students (foreign and Italian) in Florence to contemporary topics present in Italian culture by investigating issues related to fashion, sexuality, politics, the media, youth culture, the family, and Italy’s changing landscape. Films will be introduced by Prof. Vito Zagarrio, film director and Professor of Cinema at NYU Florence and Roma3. A special guest speaker, associated with the film, will be present to discuss the film with students after each screening (screenwriters, directors, technicians, or other).

Movies will be shown in Italian with English subtitles.

FREE ADMISSION

NYU Students contact alexa.farah@nyu.edu to reserve seats

General public contact europedirect@comune.fi.it to reserve seats

A creative one-man-show comes to Teatro Puccini in Florence from February 3 to 4, as Italian actor Ennio Marchetto dons his handmade paper costumes and imitates 300 celebrities, both Italian and foreign, such as Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Pavarotti, Liza Minelli, Marilyn Monroe, and Madonna. With agility and speed, Marchetto jumps from character to character, setting a fast pace that is guaranteed to entertain.

Performances are 9 pm on Saturday and 4:45 pm on Sunday.

Teatro Puccini is located on Via delle Cascine, 41.

For more information, go to http://www.teatropuccini.it/

Discover little treasures in the picturesque town of Fiesole at the monthly Antique Fair held in Piazza Mino, overlooking a spectacular view of Florence. The event is every first Sunday of the month, from 8 am until sunset, and offers you the opportunity to explore this  must-see Tuscan town and to find the perfect and unique Italian souvenir.

Fiesole is easily reachable via bus that you can catch from the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence.

For more information, visit www.comune.fiesole.fi.it

The celebrated songs of the Irish band U2 will be played by tribute band Ultraviolets at Flog Auditorium this Saturday, February 4 at 9 pm. On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the release of the album Achtung Baby, Flog will recreate the atmosphere that fans experienced during the 1992 concert in Milan, where Italy first heard the songs from the still popular album.

Tickets to the event cost 8 euros.

Flog Auditorium is located on Via Mercati, 24.

For more information, see http://www.flog.it/wlive.htm

A new exhibit opens at the Marino Marini Museum on February 4, entitled World-Wielding and dedicated to Dutch artist Rob Johannesma. The show is an anthology of  Johannesma’s work, from 1997 to 2011. on display in the concept project for the Museum’s crypt are several videos and monumental photographic collages, in which the images of newspapers used as sources of communication are placed in dialogue with the grand pictorial tradition of the Northern Renaissance. In the videos, the artist focuses on the theme of light, in particular, the alternation of light and dark, the process of creation of the images in the new media, and the same process of vision.

The show will run until April 12 and the exhibit hours are every day from 10 am to 5 pm, closed on Sunday and Tuesday.

Museo Marino Marini is located in Piazza San Pancrazio.

For more information, visit http://www.museomarinomarini.it/home.php

Cat lovers from around the world will gather at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence on February 4 and 5 for a cat show, where you can admire the most beautiful examples of purebreds, from Abyssinians, to Sphynxes, to Bengals, to Maine Coons. These spectacular cats will prowl across the stage all weekend, with a special competition for Birmans and another for Persians and Exotic Shorthairs. In addition to the show cats, guests are encouraged to bring their own household cats to the fair for an expert evaluation.

The show hours are from 10 am to 7 pm and tickets cost 7.50 euros.

The Fortezza da Basso is located on Viale Strozzi.

For more information, see http://exhibitioncenter.firenzefiera.it/en/exhibition/mostra-felina-2012/5728

The story of Bobby Fischer, the only American to ever win the Chess World Championship, animates the screen of the Odeon Cinema in Florence on Wednesday, February 1 at 4 pm. Set during the time of the Cold War, the film recounts the rise and fall of an introverted chess genius, who finds himself catapulted into the center of the world’s attention. The movie will be shown in English, with Italian subtitles.

Odeon Cinema is located in Piazza Strozzi. Bring your student ID for a reduced ticket rate.

For further information, go to http://www.festivaldeipopoli.org/en/blog/see_news/2010/bobby-fischer-against-the-world-al-cinema-odeon/191

Be transported back to the time of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with a dance performance, from February 10 to 12 at Teatro Verdi in Florence. The Australian dance company Tap Dogs, composed of six guys dressed as working men, will tap dance through sets recalling industrial factories. The show adds a little extra spice to Old Hollywood, bringing powerful rhythm and impressive acrobatic feats, as the audience watches the performers balance on pieces of steel and stand on their heads.

All shows begin at 8:45 pm, with the exception of the Sunday performance, which begins at 4:45 pm.

Teatro Verdi is located on  Via Ghibellina, 99.

For more information, visit http://www.teatroverdionline.it/cartellone/altro/tap-dogs-dal-10-02-12-al-12-02-12-ore-20.45-domenica-ore-16.45.html

Celebrate the Chinese New Year, this year being the Year of the Dragon, with a parade and dance on February 4 and 5. The Buddhist Association of the Chinese Community in Italy will hold a parade at 9:30 am through the streets of the nearby town of Prato with an immense spectacular dragon departing from the Buddhist temple, stopping along the way at the many Chinese stores in the town. The festivities continue on Sunday afternoon, as the Chinese community participates in the Dance of the Fans, in collaboration with the Flag Throwers of Florence, concluding with food stands offering Chinese and Italian cuisine.

For more information, email abciantoniozhou@hotmail.com

This Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5, prepare to fall out of your seats with laughter, as the comedic films of the group Monty Python come to the stage of Florence’s Teatro Nuovo Sentiero. The group of actors Jena Valentin will perform Gente Strana (Strange People), which consists of pieces of sketches made famous by Monty Python, with three episodes of comedic banter.

The Saturday performance will begin at 9:15 pm, while the Sunday performance will commence at 5:30 pm.

Tickets cost 8 euros.

Teatro Nuovo Sentiero is located on Via delle Panche, 36.

For more information, see http://www.teatronuovosentiero.com/