Former WB Italia maven takes Rome fest's top job

ROME -- Outgoing Warner Bros. Italia topper Paolo Ferrari continues to be hired prexy from the Rome Film Festival, paving the way in which for that probable appointment of former Venice chief Marco Mueller as Rome artistic director now. Ferrari, also former mind of Italo movie org Anica using one of Italy's respected film executives, will need to tackle some thorny issues relating to dates and venues for that Rome fest and it is Business Street mart. There's been a large brouhaha lately after news reviews that Mueller was mulling slotting the big event at the end of November, potentially walking around the Turin fest's toes as well as appearing a arranging conflict using the fest's current venue, Rome's Auditorium Parco Della Musica. Mueller, who had been ousted from Venice inside a energy struggle in December after eight years around the Lido, has ambitious plans for Rome, though he's keeping mother until he's firmly within the saddle. The possibilities of new management for Rome in past several weeks motivated a fierce political fight that risked killing the big event. However the Italian industry largely views Ferrari and Mueller the best team to accept seven-year-old fest one stage further, making the most of the truth that the Eternal City is Italy's industry hub. Competition between Rome and Venice will in the end increase, though not always with negative effects for either event. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com