Taormina, 15 June 2014 - The long-awaited inauguration ceremony of the 60th edition of the Taormina Film Festival took place yesterday evening. To celebrate the event, international stars reached the red carpet with the style and elegance that only Maserati is able to provide.

The always divine Claudia Cardinale, the unforgettable actress who starred in ‘The Leopard’ filmed right here on Sicilian soil and muse of this edition that awarded her the Taormina Arte Award, was one of the many celebrities who opened the film festival. The great actress captured the attention of the onlookers when she arrived in a  Maserati Quattroporte, Maserati's luxurious four-door saloon flagship. Under the agreement, Maserati will provide its Quattroporte and Ghibli models as official cars for the courtesy car service laid on for the many stars attending the screenings. The magnificent Cardinale was honoured with the screening of 'Gebo et l'ombre', in which she plays the leading role under the direction of Manoel De Oliveira. Other actresses on the red carpet of this edition celebrating its 60th anniversary, which pays special homage to women, are the strikingly elegant Bo Derek, Melanie Griffith, Eva Longoria and Paz Vega, who all will arrive at the Festival in the comfort of the just as sophisticated Maserati Quattroportes. The list of stars awaited at the Sicilian film festival also includes prominent male stars of international cinema: Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon and many others.

At the end of the ceremony, the guests climbed aboard the elegant Maseratis to reach the magnificent backdrop of the festival's main venue: the stage of the picturesque ancient Greek Theatre where the preview of the opening film of the festival, ‘Dragon Trainer 2’ in 3D, was screened in the presence of its director and screenwriter Dean DeBlois. Produced by Dreamworks, the second thrilling chapter of the epic animation trilogy will be distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox five years after the first showing of Dragon Trainer, which was nominated for the Oscar of Best Animated Feature and drew almost $500 million at box offices the world over. The screening of the new film was followed by the showing of the gripping opening match of the Italian team at the FIFA World Cup tournament, which ended with Italy clinching a victory to top off an evening dictated by Italy's excellence.

Another celebration marking the evening was the beginning of the partnership between the 60th edition of the Taormina Film Festival and the 100th anniversary of Maserati, which consolidated the relationship between the prestigious film festival and the Fiat Group in its role of main sponsor of the event.

The 60th edition of the international film festival in Taormina is being held from 14th to 21st June 2014. Maserati will provide the exclusive courtesy car service to escort the awaited international stars, ensuring that it will be constantly present on the red carpet.

Terrazza Maserati - the main sponsor's area at the prestigious Hotel Timeo - is the central and vital area of the Taormina film festival that will play host to interviews, meetings, cocktail parties and events.

In the year that sees Maserati celebrate its Centenary, the car manufacturer is enjoying strong growth. Present in approximately seventy markets around the world, Maserati confirms its role as international ambassador of Italian excellence.


Foto: 2014 Getty images/ image.net