Ciao, Bella

June 04, 2009 When Deborah Young took over as executive director of the Taormina Film Festival three years ago, she knew it had little chance of competing with such well-established, deep-pocketed behemoths as the Festival de Cannes, Sundance and Toronto as a top film marketplace. If the festival hoped to capture Hollywood's attention, it would have to exploit its beauty by publicizing the wonders of its showcase venue, the Teatro Greco (Greek Theater), a 2,000-year-old amphitheater overlooking the Ionian Sea. After director Michael Bay watched his action blockbuster "Transformers" unspool at the Greek in 2007, "(He) told us it was the best screening of his life."

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