Taormina raises profile with U.S. fare

June 05, 2009 Sicily's Taormina Film Festival is going Hollywood with its 55th edition, with the Italian premieres of Lynn Shelton's "Humpday," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" from Mark Waters and "The Hangover" from Todd Phillips all featured in the lineup, which was announced Friday. In its third year under the artistic directorship of Deborah Young, who also is The Hollywood Reporter's chief international critic, Taormina has raised its profile in part by attracting high-profile international films. [...] the festival also remains true to its Sicilian origins by expanding across the island from its northeastern base and including local-themed films like "La Siciliana Ribelle" (The Sicilian Girl) as well as more traditional cerebral fare such as "The Long Night" from Syrian director Hatem Ali, Turkish director Umit Una's "The Shadowless," and "Zrubavel" from Israel's Shmuel Beru -- all of which will appear in the festival's Mediterranean competition.

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