Renowned Italian writer-director Ettore Scola's new film, Gente Di Roma, is to have its world premiere at the 20th Europa Cinema festival in Viareggio (Sep 20 - 27).

Co-produced and distributed by Istituto Luce, Gente Di Roma stars Stefania Sandrelli (The Last Kiss, Un Filme Falado) and Valerio Mastandrea (V-Max) in a picture that explores different aspects of Roman life, past and present.

The Europa Cinema festival is headed by former Venice chief Felice Laudadio who founded the festival with legendary director Federico Fellini in 1983.

This year, the festival will be dedicated to Alberto Sordi (I Vitelloni, The White Sheik), the celebrated Roman actor who died last February.

Meanwhile, Italian newspapers reported that Gerard Depardieu will star in the next film by Ettore Scola, whose lengthy credits include A Special Day (1977) and We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974).

Depardieu announced the project at the 8th Vasta Film Festival which he was attending in Tuscany.