Vittoria Puccini
A leading member of the new generation of Italian actresses, as well as one of the country’s undisputed television stars, Vittoria Puccini, winner of the L’Oréal Paris per il Cinema prize at the 67th Venice International Film Festival in 2010, will be the host of the 68th Venice International Film Festival’s Opening and Closing nights.
The 68th Festival, directed by Marco Mueller and organized by la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, will take place at the Lido from 31 August to 10 September 2011.
Puccini will open the 68th Festival during the inauguration ceremony on the evening of Wednesday August 31st on the stage of Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema), to be followed by the screening of the Festival’s opening film (in competition) The Ides of March, written and directed by George Clooney.
On 10 September she will host the closing ceremony, during which the winners of the Golden Lions and the other jury prizes of the Festival’s Venice 68 Competition will be announced.
Born in Florence, Vittoria Puccini made her film debut in 1999 Sergio Rubini’s Tutto l’amore che c’è, and later worked with Umberto Marino in Sant’Antonio da Padova (2001), a two episode TV-movie. She returned to the world of cinema in Paz (2001) directed by Renato De Maria, a cult film admired by fans of Andrea Pazienza and his comic strips. The role that secured her fame, however, was the protagonist of Elisa di Rivombrosa by Cinzia TH. Torrini, a 13-episode television drama aired on Canale 5 that premiered in 2003 and continued in September 2005.
Vittoria returned to the silver screen in Ma quando arrivano le ragazze? (2004) directed by Pupi Avati, and continued her successful television career with Le ragazze di San Frediano (2006) directed by Vittorio Sindoni, La Baronessa di Carini (2007) by Umberto Marino, Tutta la verità (2008) by Cinzia TH. Torrini and Marco Turco’s C’era una volta la città dei matti (2008). After a fine performance in Sergio Rubini’s Colpo d’occhio (2007), she starred in the feature-films Baciami ancora (2009, the sequel to The Last Kiss) by Gabriele Muccino and La vita facile (2010) by Lucio Pellegrini.
Vittoria Puccini won the third edition of the L’Oréal Paris for Cinema Prize at the 67th Venice International Film Festival in 2010, a prize aiming to promote young and gifted Italian cinema actors, whose attractiveness and brilliant performances captured the attention of critics and public alike. The prize was assigned by a large popular jury that voted over the Internet.
