SATURDAY 22 NOV – H 20:00 – ROOM 1
Meeting with the producer GIAN G. FOSCHINI (Brandos Film)

UNDER THE STARS
USA – 1947 – color – 110’

Direction: Michelle Danner
Script: Victoria Vinuesa
Cinematography: Pierluigi “Gigi” Malavassi
Editing: Federico Conforti
Production design: Franckie Diago, Fabio Tresca
Music: Andrea Guerra
Costumes: Chiara Ferrantini
Cast: Alex Pettyfer (Ian), Eva De Dominici (Arianna), Vincent Riotta (Pietro), Jessica Ann Serfaty (Kate), Chiara Iezzi (Marta), Rob Estes (Andrew), Toni Collette (Audrey), Andy Garcia (Giacomo)
Italy Executive Producer: Gian Gabriele Foschini (Brandos Film)
Producer: Pia Patatian
Production: Nura Films

Synopsis
After discovering that he has been betrayed by his girlfriend, a young English writer embarks on a journey to Puglia in search of inspiration to finally complete his novel. Once he arrives at the Masseria where he will be staying, he meets Giacomo, the owner, and his daughter Arianna. An initially stormy relationship will turn into a passionate story of love and a journey of self-rediscovery.

the director: MICHELLE DANNER
Michelle Danner is a film and theatre director, writer, and internationally renowned acting coach with over thirty years of experience in teaching acting. She has worked with world-famous actors such as Chris Rock, Gerard Butler, Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, James Franco, Catherine Bell, Henry Cavill, and Michelle Rodriguez. She is the founder of the Creative Center for the Arts in Los Angeles, as well as the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory and the Michelle Danner Acting Studio. She studied under Stella Adler and Uta Hagen and has directed and performed in more than thirty theatrical and musical productions in New York and Los Angeles. Danner made her directorial film debut with How to go out on a Date in Queens (2006). Among her works are Hello Herman, The Bandit Hound, Bad Impulse, and The Runner. Currently engaged in developing new projects—including the romantic comedy Starstruck, the sci-fi thriller Helios, and Party Crasher—she is also completing her acting book The Golden Box and directing the stage play A Ticket to the Circus, starring Anne Archer.

nota di regia
“Under the Stars is a humorous and moving romantic comedy about love, truth, beauty, and human connection, and, in many ways, about the romance genre itself. The contrasts between the protagonists and their dynamics, as well as between the two main settings—the bustle of London and the tranquility of Puglia—help shape both the bond that grows between them and the film’s exploration of what people seek in others and in life. Puglia is portrayed through a cinematic style enriched with authentic Italian music and has played an essential role in world history. The family home, the Masseria, with all its rich history, is placed at the heart of everything that unfolds. This is a heartfelt love story between the young and the not-so-young, featuring genuine, unconventional humor aimed at entertaining audiences across generations.”

filmography
2006 Out on a Date in Queens
2012 Hello Herman
2016 The Bandit Hound
2018 Sígueme (short)
2019 Bad Impulse
2021 The Runner
2022 A Ticket to the Circus (tv movie)
2023 Miranda’s Victim
2025 The Italians
2025 Under the Stars

premiere