Rome Film Festival 2024 dedicated to Mastroianni.

Italy is celebrating the centenary of the birth of legendary Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni whose career spanned more than five decades, up to his death in 1996.

This year's Rome Film Festival, taking place from 16-27 October, will be dedicated to Mastroianni, one of Italy's most iconic and internationally recognised actors.

Rome's Casa del Cinema, whose address in Villa Borghese is named after Mastroianni, is also hosting a retrospective devoted to the actor throughout September and October.

Mastroianni was born in Fontana Liri, about 90 km south-east of Rome, on 28 September 1924.

Known for his versatility and talent in various genres, from comedy to drama, he appeared in a total of 147 films, starting out as an extra in 1939 at the age of 14.

Il #28settembre 1924 nasce Marcello Mastroianni, l'attore italiano per eccellenza. Con "La dolce vita" inizia un lungo sodalizio artistico con Federico Fellini, ma lavora anche con registi come Mario Monicelli, Pietro Germi, Ettore Scola e i fratelli Taviani. pic.twitter.com/GH7ldr97sP

— raicultura (@RaiCultura) September 28, 2023

During the 1940s he built up a reputation for his theatre and film work, gradually gaining recognition, before his breakthrough came with films such Atto d'accusa (1950) and Le notti bianche (1957), directed by Luchino Visconti, and I soliti ignoti (1958), directed by Mario Monicelli.

He won international fame in the 1960s for his collaborations with Federico Fellini, particularly in La Dolce Vita (1960) in which he was immortalised in the Trevi Fountain scene with Anita Ekberg, and 8½ (1963), playing a famed Italian film director who suffers from stifled creativity.

Mastroianni also formed a memorable on-screen partnership with Sophia Loren, co-starring in numerous films together between 1954 and 1994, including Matrimonio all'italiana (1964) and Una giornata particolare (1977).

Throughout his career he worked with renowned directors such as Vittorio De Sica and Michelangelo Antonioni, solidifying his reputation as a versatile and talented actor.

Known for his effortless charm and charisma, Mastroianni's appeal extended beyond Italy, earning him three Oscar nominations for Best Actor, for Divorce Italian Style (1961), A Special Day (1977), and Oci ciornie (Dark Eyes) (1987).

He also won numerous accolades at international film festivals, including two BAFTA Awards, two Best Actor awards at the Venice and Cannes film festivals, and two Golden Globes.

Mastroianni continued to work actively in films until his death in Paris on 19 December 1996, aged 72, and he is buried at the Verano Cemetery in Rome.