Istituto Luce has announced Italian director Mimmo Calopresti's latest directorial foray L'Abbuffata, starring Gerard Depardieu, Diego Abatantuono and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.

The $2.4m (Euros 1.8m) budget picture was produced under Calopresti's own Gage production outfit, with Istituto Luce and France's Dania film as well as support from the Turin Piedmont Film Commission and Italy's Calabria Region.

Currently in post production, the film is making its market debut in Cannes and is scheduled for completion in October 2007.

L'Abbuffata is the story of a trio of friends in a small town who go to Rome to shoot a movie. There they meet a French woman (Bruni Tedeschi) who introduces them to her boyfriend, who just happens to be French actor Gerard Depardieu, who plays himself.

Director Mimmo Calopresti, who hails from Calabria himself, has had two films in Cannes official competition. His 2006 title I only Wanted to Live (Volevo solo vivere) came after his Cannes debut in 1995 with The Second Time (La Seconda Volta).

Also at Cannes Market, Istituto Luce has Italian-Romanian co-production Cover-Boy, which is a first work by Italian director Carmine Amoroso.