Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman is set to open the first edition of the RomeFilmFest. Kidman will present the world premiere of Steven Shainberg's Fur at the grand opening gala on October 13 in the Santa Cecilia Hall at the Auditorium Parco della Musica. Inspired by Patricia Bosworth's book Diane Arbus – A Biography, Fur is a fictionalized account of the life of iconoclastic American photographer Diane Arbus.
Paolo Virzi's N (Io e Napoleone) is another entry in the Première section of the festival. Starring Monica Bellucci, Daniel Auteuil (as Napoleon Bonaparte), and Elio Germano, the costume drama revolves around an anti-Napoleonic teacher who is appointed librarian to the French emperor during his exile on the island of Elba.
The third screening in the Première section will be Mira Nair's The Namesake, starring Kal Penn, Irfan Khan, and Tabu. Based on the novel by Pulitzer prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake depicts the cultural and personal hardships encountered by an Indian family after immigrating from Calcutta to New York.
And finally, Sean Connery will receive the Acting Award, established by the RomeFilmFest "to celebrate great contemporary performers."
The RomeFilmFest runs between Oct. 13-21.