Federico Fellini
December 1, 2021–January 12, 2022
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters
The Museum of Modern Art and Cinecittà present Federico Fellini, a complete retrospective honoring the famed Italian director. The series will be presented entirely in person at MoMA’s Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters from December 1, 2021, through January 12, 2022. The MoMA retrospective will open with Fellini’s semi-autobiographical I Vitelloni (The Young and the Passionate) (1953) and the US premiere of Cinecittà’s 4K restoration from the original negative of La Strada (1954), winner of the first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. MoMA has a long history of showcasing Fellini’s work, from exhibiting his film stills in the galleries in the 1970s to numerous film screenings, including those of the 10 Fellini films that are part of MoMA’s film collection. Federico Fellini is organized by La Frances Hui, Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art, and Camilla Cormanni and Paola Ruggiero, Cinecittà.
Curator La Frances Hui says, “There is no better tribute to a cinema titan like Fellini than a complete retrospective of all his films fully restored in 4K. Audiences, especially younger ones who were never exposed to his entire filmography, will be given the opportunity to view the films for the first time on the big screen.” Hui continues, “We are honored to present this retrospective with Cinecittà, the iconic Rome studio where most of Fellini’s films were shot. Over many decades his distinct visions were realized on the soundstages of Cinecittà and it is a privilege to celebrate this relationship here at MoMA.”
Federico Fellini (1920–1993) has created a body of work so instantly recognizable that there’s an adjective bearing his name: Felliniesque. The winner of four Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, he has been an influence on generations of filmmakers. Fellini began his career as a caricaturist. He later entered the film industry as a screenwriter, working within the Italian Neorealist tradition before eventually becoming a director. Fellini’s artistic vision and trademark preoccupations are evident from his very first films. Fellini’s co-directorial debut, Luci del varietà (Variety Lights) (1950), highlights his lifelong love of the circus and the whimsical, as does La Strada (1954), about the plight of a clownish woman who performs circus acts. Fantasy has guided his characters in dreamlike scenarios: The White Sheik (1952) follows one woman’s pursuit of a fictional romantic hero, while a journalist’s escapade with a glamorous starlet becomes otherworldly in La Dolce Vita (1960). With his self-referential masterpiece 8 1/2 (1963), Fellini explores the dreamscape in grand scale. Autobiographical threads run throughout his oeuvre; while Amarcord (1973) is inspired by his upbringing, semi-nonfictional works such as Block-notes di un regista (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) (1969) and Intervista (Interview) (1987) place the director himself fully at the center.
Federico Fellini is part of the Federico Fellini 100 Tour, a series of centennial tributes to Federico Fellini, which travels to major museums and film institutions worldwide, coordinated by Paola Ruggiero and Camilla Cormanni, Cinecittà. All films have been digitally restored by Cinecittà, Cineteca di Bologna, and Cineteca Nazionale, with the exception of Nights of Cabiria and The White Sheik, which have been restored by Rialto Pictures.
The complete Federico Fellini schedule is currently available at moma.org/film.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks (ages 2+) are required to attend on-site film screenings. Learn more about how to visit MoMA safely at moma.org/visit/tips.
Discussion about this post