Venice 1763. The writer Lorenzo Da Ponte lives a life of dissolution. Helped by his friend and mentor Giacomo Casanova, Da Ponte meets Salieri and a person new to town, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Da Ponte wrote the libretto for one of the most audacious and powerful Mozart compositions, “Don Giovanni“. The film “I, Don Giovanni” by Carlos Saura, outside Competition, premieres today, preceded by a concert of movements from “Don Giovanni” and “The Wedding of Figaro” performed by the Da Ponte Ensemble and directed by maestro Nicola Tescari.

Also outside Competition is the funny comedy “Just Married” by Luca Lucini with an incredible ensemble cast: Luca Argentero, Dario Bandiera, Carolina Crescentini, Filippo Nigro, Gabriella Pession, Michele Placido, Renato Pozzetto, Isabella Ragonese, Lunetta Savino.

In the Competition section is “Qingnian/Youth“, the second film from independent filmmaker Geng Jun, a cutting edge view on daily life in China that normally does not make the news.

The Focus section presents, “Ghost Bird “, while the Extra section hosts a Q&A with Brazilian writer . Coelho will introduce the film “The Experimental Witch“, which was created by collaborators Coelho invited via the Internet, to help him adapt his book “The Witch of Portobello” into a feature film.

In the same section today, there is also, “Latte a Cafè“, “Mamachas del Ring, Bancs Pulics/Park Benches” and “Maria Lai:Ansia d’infinto.”

Alice nella Città will screen “Marpiccolo” by Alessandro di Robilant, a story about a boy who wants to change his destiny. Also screening is “Mille Neuf Cent Quatre-Vingt-Un/Nineteen Eighty-One” by Canadian filmmaker Ricardo Trogi about an 11 year-old who has to choose between truth and deceit.