Organisers said they were pleased with results at Rome Film Fests's second edition, which among other goals, aims to stimulate movie going. This year's festival issued 110,000 tickets, up from the inaugural run's 102,000.
As last year, prestige was also strong on Rome's roster, with Terrence Malick coming to the festival and Francis Ford Coppola hosting the world premiere of Youth Without Youth.
Martin Scorsese dropped out for the Film foundation presentation of restored Sergio Leone classic Once Upon a Time in the West but director Ang Lee quickly replaced him.
Valerio De Paolis of Italian distributor BIM brought several titles to both Rome and Venice including Venice's Golden Lion winner Lust, Caution. At Rome, BIM brought Into the Wild, Mongol and Youth Without Youth.
'For an Italian distributor, Rome is very important for the launch of films. We couldn't have had Coppola without the Fest and the presence of Sean Penn is really important for our release in January,' he said.
International producers also felt Rome launches went well. Producer Richard Barton Lewis said of August Rush's world premiere in Rome: 'This festival in two short years has taken on a lot of clout We are coming out in the United States in Thanksgiving week, so the timing of this was absolutely perfect.'
But Rome's biggest strides may be seen in the developing industry events. Both events, The Business Street and The New Cinema Network co-production market saw growth in their second edition.
Simon de Santiago, executive from Spain's Sogecable was in Rome for both events. As part of the project selection committee for the budding New Cinema
Network's co-production event, de Santiago said, 'I think there was an improvement in quality (over last year) and there was a lot of activity. I think the directors and producers that attended with projects were able to have interesting meetings - from the comments I got they all seemed happy with what they were able to achieve.'
Some local press tried to push the point that Rome could become a real market with stands by 2008 although some argue that Rome's attraction remains its casual 'terrace-top' set up.
In an interview to the Italian daily Il Messaggero, the Fondazione Cinema per Roma President Goffredo Bettini, (which is the Fest's parent foundation) said the success of the market would make it the focus of the coming years, with an intention to supplant MIFED.
But some simply see a 'traditional market' as unnecessary. Lucky Red's Andrea Occhipinti told ScreenDaily.com the attraction of Rome's informal terrace based market is one of its central attractions (and lower-cost than other markets).
Industry watchers, and even the organizers, still say it is too early to predict what kind of festival Rome will grow into in decades to come.
Occhipinti says, 'I think that we'll see the effects of the festival in years to come. Remember even the growth and evolution of Berlin came after many years. We are only at the second year. So far it seems to have had a positive outcome.'
As last year, prestige was also strong on Rome's roster, with Terrence Malick coming to the festival and Francis Ford Coppola hosting the world premiere of Youth Without Youth.
Martin Scorsese dropped out for the Film foundation presentation of restored Sergio Leone classic Once Upon a Time in the West but director Ang Lee quickly replaced him.
Valerio De Paolis of Italian distributor BIM brought several titles to both Rome and Venice including Venice's Golden Lion winner Lust, Caution. At Rome, BIM brought Into the Wild, Mongol and Youth Without Youth.
'For an Italian distributor, Rome is very important for the launch of films. We couldn't have had Coppola without the Fest and the presence of Sean Penn is really important for our release in January,' he said.
International producers also felt Rome launches went well. Producer Richard Barton Lewis said of August Rush's world premiere in Rome: 'This festival in two short years has taken on a lot of clout We are coming out in the United States in Thanksgiving week, so the timing of this was absolutely perfect.'
But Rome's biggest strides may be seen in the developing industry events. Both events, The Business Street and The New Cinema Network co-production market saw growth in their second edition.
Simon de Santiago, executive from Spain's Sogecable was in Rome for both events. As part of the project selection committee for the budding New Cinema
Network's co-production event, de Santiago said, 'I think there was an improvement in quality (over last year) and there was a lot of activity. I think the directors and producers that attended with projects were able to have interesting meetings - from the comments I got they all seemed happy with what they were able to achieve.'
Some local press tried to push the point that Rome could become a real market with stands by 2008 although some argue that Rome's attraction remains its casual 'terrace-top' set up.
In an interview to the Italian daily Il Messaggero, the Fondazione Cinema per Roma President Goffredo Bettini, (which is the Fest's parent foundation) said the success of the market would make it the focus of the coming years, with an intention to supplant MIFED.
But some simply see a 'traditional market' as unnecessary. Lucky Red's Andrea Occhipinti told ScreenDaily.com the attraction of Rome's informal terrace based market is one of its central attractions (and lower-cost than other markets).
Industry watchers, and even the organizers, still say it is too early to predict what kind of festival Rome will grow into in decades to come.
Occhipinti says, 'I think that we'll see the effects of the festival in years to come. Remember even the growth and evolution of Berlin came after many years. We are only at the second year. So far it seems to have had a positive outcome.'
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