With only about a month to organize the first Italian Film Festival in Milwaukee, Barbara Klein, Paul Salsini and I didn't know exactly what to expect. But our fingers were crossed. Barbara has organized similar events in St. Louis and Kansas City and she's the force behind the Milwaukee event, too. Paul and I are the guys on the ground here.
Last night was the first of three nights -- one film each night -- at Marquette's Varsity Theater and with a turnout of more than 100 for "The Fever," we were pleased. Especially considering we did it with little advance notice and zero advertising. But there were Italian teachers, Italian language students, Italian-Americans, Marquette students and film buffs in general, who all got a chance to rate the film afterward.
The Milwaukee International Film Festival had a table set up and two representatives on hand, too.
Tonight's film is "Come Into the Light," a film which chronicling one Sicilian priest's battle against the mafia and tomorrow the series closes with "The Destination," about a young man doing his military service in a small Sardinian town. Both start at 7 p.m. and are free.
We hope to grow the festival next year, so go see the films tonight and tomorrow, leave your e-mail address on your way out and stay tuned for the second annual Italian Film Festival in Milwaukee next spring.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
