2020 was to mark a big year of celebrations in the world of Italian cinema as it is the 100th anniversary of the birth of
Federico Fellini who was, and continues to be, one of the best, brightest, most celebrated and most beloved of all film directors to have ever come from
Italy.
Not only was he one of Italy’s most famous directors of all time, he was also one of the most beloved directors in the world. Born in 1920, Fellini went on to become a central figure of the international art cinema movement that caught steam in the 1950s. He was widely lauded and acclaimed and won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for “La Strada”, “Nights of Cabiria”, “8 ½”, and “Amarcord”, and the Palme d’Or at Cannes for “La Dolce Vita”. After this golden era in his oeuvre, he continued to make beloved works and contributions to the industry for decades before ultimately passing away in 1993.
All sorts of special events, talks, exhibitions, screenings, and more were organised in Italy and on an international scale in order to commemorate the event of the 100th anniversary of this great artist's birth throughout this year but, given the current global health pandemic, it is unlikely that many, if any, of these events will go ahead as planned. But what does that mean for Fellini and film fans the world over? Must we give up on remembering the life and talent of this incredible artist? No, of course not! As they say in show business, “The show must go on!”