The time is 1953 as Joe Morelli speeds into town in his beat up truck under the ancient Sicilian sun. He carries with him little more than an old Ascania camera and a box of film stock. Setting up a tent in the town square, he yells out a rallying call to the townspeople, entreating them to spend 1,500 lire apiece for screen tests and promising to show the results to top producers in Rome. The locals are instantly lured to the camera and line up to bare their souls with hopes of stardom hinging on Joe's word. In front of Joe's camera, shepherds, policemen, mothers, children, outcasts, bandits and war heros all try their hand at acting, but end up confessing themselves. In doing so, their honesty begins to shake Joe off center after years of scraping his way through life without a second thought. Amidst this myriad of tales emerges the radiant Beata, whose virgin beauty and unchained love awakens Joe's soul. It is Joe's love for Beata that changes his destiny, and her's, forever.

Director:
Giuseppe Tornatore	Director
Cast:
Sergio Castellitto	as Joe Morelli
Tiziana Lodato	as Beata
Franco Scaldati	as Brigadiere Mastropaolo
Leopoldo Trieste	as Muto
Clelia Rondinella	as Anna'S Mother
Tano Cimarosa	as Grandpa Bordonaro
Nicola Dipinto	as Communal Functionary
Costantino Carrozza	as The Collector
Jane Alexander	as Princess
Tony Sperandeo Jr.	as 1st Baldalamenti
Leo Gullotta	as Vito
Luigi Maria Burruano	as Flirtatious Client
Carmelo Dimazzarelli	as Old Man In Wheelchair
Marzio Onorato	as Architect Panebianco
Antonella Attili	as Nurse
Domenico Dolce	as Peasant On Bus
Stefano Gabana	as Photographer On Bus
Maria Rosa Parrello	as Santina
Rita Lia	as Pinuccia
Vincent Navarra	as Shepherd
Alessandro Guarrera	as Clapboard Kid
Spiro Scimone	as 1st Nasca Brother
Francesco Sframeli	as 2nd Nasca Brother
Tony Palazzo	as Pio Li Fusi
Mimmo Gennaro	as 1st Mafioso
Emilio Scimone	as 2nd Mafioso
Massimo Pupella	as Bordonaro Jr
Giorgio Guerrieri	as Cinema Cashier
Salvatore Billa	as Prince
Peppino Tornatore	as Dottore Mistretta
Filippo Tarantino	as 2nd Badalamenti
Onofrio Ducato	as Mafia Boss Realzisa
Paolo Noto	as Zu' Leonardo
Turi Killer	as Boy With Garabaldino
Antonio Miceli	as Cosima Millelire
Rori Quatrocchi	as Prostitute
Elia Nicosia	as Barber
Simona Merito	as Anna
Giuseppe Zardo	as 1st Friend
Sandro Piro	as 2nd Friend
Vincenzo Fiorenza	as 3rd Friend
Filippo Spitale	as 1st Man In Club
Pino Pellegrino	as 2nd Man In Club
Rosario Lanzafame	as 3rd Man In Club
Pippo Provvidenti	as Don Lucio
Giorgio Libassi	as Innkeeper
Pasquale Palumbo	as Mayor
Antonello Pugliesi	as Man Quoting Mussolini
Daniele Ferretti	as Village Idiot
Filippo Alesi	as Young Farm Laborer
Emilio Adrisani	as Peasant By The River
Francesco Guzzo	as Tavern Boy
Giuseppe Funari	as Armless Man
Bruno Torrisi	as Carwash Man
Umberto Terranove	as Band Master
Rosolino Cottone	as Partisan
Giovanni Alamia	as 1st Warehouse Man
Corrado Solari	as 2nd Warehouse Man
Cinematography:
Dante Spinotti	Director Of Photography
Writer:
Giuseppe Tornatore	Screenwriter
Fabio Rinaudo	Screenwriter
Giuseppe Tornatore	From Story
Producer:
Vittorio Cecchi Gori	Producer
Rita Cecchi Gori	Producer
Mario Cotone	Executive Producer
Editing:
Massimo Quaglia	Editor
Music:
Ennio Morricone	Music Composer And Conductor
Ennio Morricone	Original Music
Costume-Wardrobe:
Beatrice Bordone	Costume Designer
Production Designer:
Francesco Bronzi	Production Designer
Sound:
Massimo Loffredi	Production Sound Mixer
Production Companies:
Cecchi Gori Pictures	Production Company
Focus Features	Theatrical Distributor
Miramax Films	Domestic Theatrical Distributor
20th Century Fox	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Cecchi Gori Pictures	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Nippon Herald Films, Inc	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Constantin Film Verleih Gmbh	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Lauren Films	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Miramax Home Entertainment	Domestic Video Distributor
Film Production - Main:
Mario Cotone	Production Supervisor

Co-winner, along with Joao Cesar Monteiro's "God's Comedy" (Portugal/1995), of the Special Jury Prize at the 1995 Venice Film Festival.

Nominated for the 1995 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Winner of five 1995 Nastri d'Argento (Silver Ribbon) awards from the Association of Italian Film Journalists, including Best Director, Best Actor (Sergio Castellitto), Best Supporting Actor (Leopoldo Trieste), Best Cinematography. Film was also a co-winner, along with Giantito Burchiellaro's "Pereira Declares" (Italy/1995), of the Best Art Direction award.

Expanded Release in United States March 15, 1996

Expanded Release in United States March 22, 1996

Released in United States 1995

Released in United States on Video October 15, 1996

Released in United States Spring March 8, 1996

Shown at Venice Film Festival (in competition) August 30 - September 9, 1995.

Released in United States 1995 (Shown at Venice Film Festival (in competition) August 30 - September 9, 1995.)

Released in United States Spring March 8, 1996

Expanded Release in United States March 15, 1996

Expanded Release in United States March 22, 1996

Released in United States on Video October 15, 1996

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