Going to Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna (Italy) has been a much different experience than attending Festival de Cannes or Toronto International Film Festival. I find that Cannes is about discovering new voices in cinema, and TIFF is good for seeing buzz and hype develop, especially in gauging potential Oscar contenders. But for those more interested in classic film, Il Cinema Ritrovato delivers, providing opportunities to see rare titles and/or little-known titles, and restored prints and digital transfers of classic films. The programming of Il Cinema Ritrovato is excellent: unlike major film festivals, it is very difficult to actually see a bad film here. This year, the programming was divided into fourteen sections including European Cinemascope; Allan Dwan, Chris Marker, Ivan Pravov/Olga Preobrazhenskaya, and Vittorio De Sica retrospectives; Hitchcock Silents; Early Japanese talkies; and films of the Czech New Wave. Most cinephiles will probably never even hear of some films that played at the festival this year: a handful of pre-war Japanese films and some Ivan Pravov/Olga Preobrazhenskaya collaborations do not even have IMDb pages.

For all its virtues, Il Cinema Ritrovato can be a very frustrating festival. Around three hundred films screened this year, but the festival provided only one screening for the majority of these. Consequently, it is certain that any festivalgoer will find scheduling conflicts when deciding what to see: to properly enjoy this festival, one must research the films in advance. Furthermore, it can be difficult to stay on track with one’s schedule, because many of the screenings run late. Il Cinema Ritrovato manages to coordinate introductions with various filmmakers, critics, and cinematheque programmers – and these introductions are usually insightful – but the organization of the schedule does not take enough consideration for the time it takes for a theatre to empty, for the next audience to settle in, and for an (up to twenty minutes, sometimes) introduction to finish. Although, this did not always turn out to be a bad thing: one time, when a film ran late, I missed the screening of a film I planned on seeing, and was left with nothing in that particular time slot other than an Allan Dwan film. After watching Rendezvous with Annie, I ended up going to see another three of his films (part of an Allan Dwan retrospective), and was delighted to discover this little-known director and his intelligent, witty, entertaining oeuvre. Such is the nature of Il Cinema Ritrovato: true to its name, it is inevitable that any cinephile attending the festival will experience some discoveries and surprises.

Four venues are used: the Cinema Lumière (home of the Cineteca Bologna), the Cinema Arlecchino, the Cinema Jolly, and the Piazza Maggiore (for outdoor screenings of major restorations in the late evening). With the exception of the Piazza Maggiore, all these theatres are within a five-minute walk of each other, so when there is a small window of time between the end of one screening and the beginning of another, it's easy to rush to the next film. Depending on the language, films are subtitled in English and/or Italian. At the cinemas Arlecchino and Jolly, English films are subtitled in Italian, Italian films are subtitled in English, and films in other languages are subtitled in both. But in the Salas Scorsese and Mastroianni in the Cinema Lumière, for non-Italian or English films, it may be necessary to procure an earpiece in which a linguist will translate the film, on the spot. It is difficult to make the adjustment to this, but some may find it essential, because for some of these films it might be one of only a few chances to see them. The Cinema Arlecchino is the one I preferred because it has the biggest screen with the most incline in the seating, but it is also the venue largely responsible for screenings running late. But, even with its flaws, this festival is well worth going to, especially from a fiscal perspective. Regular passes cost only 80 Euros, and student passes are a modest 35 Euros, and as it is possible to see six films every day, it works out to be much more affordable than regular moviegoing.

Over eight days, I was able to see thirty-three films. The ones I will remember most are those that highlight what I perceive to be the purpose of a festival like Il Cinema Ritrovato. The screening of Vittorio De Sica’s 'minor' films as a director and/or actor (Il giudizio universale, L’oro di Napoli, Il signor Max, etc.) was a choice that could have rehabilitative power (especially for his comedic endeavours). These films had me roaring with laughter, and it was a real surprise, given the reputation of some of them. I think Un si petite jolie plage, a film directed by Yves Allégret (who was unfortunately rejected by the Nouvelle Vague) is just dripping with gloom, atmosphere, and the chance to objectively observe mysteriously sad, internal people, and watch them all inadvertently drop little hints about how they have become this way. I am grateful for the opportunity to view something like Ani imôto, a pre-war, subversive Japanese melodrama (that freely discusses premarital pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, and incestuous desire) that doesn’t even have five IMDb votes. And, surely, I will remember this festival for having seen Maynila: Sa mga kuko ng liwanag (Manila in the Clutch of Darkness), Lino Brocka’s controlled fusion of gritty realism and melodrama, which may be the first masterpiece that I have seen for the first time, this year, and an instant addition to my personal favourites.

Though not as polished or refined as a major film festival, Il Cinema Ritrovato has a lot of heart, and couldn’t possibly disappoint lovers of classic film. Its relaxed, casual environment and stellar selection made this the most rewarding festival I have been to, from a strictly moviegoing perspective.