The State of Texas, and specifically the city of Sugar Land, welcomes an exciting collaboration between the Italian Region of Umbria, the International Cinema Festival of the City of Spello and the Suburbs of Umbria, the city of Sugar Land, Texas and the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.
The project was created from an idea of Donatella Cocchini, President of the “Aurora” Social Promotion Cultural Association that has been organizing the International Cinema Festival of the City of Spello and the Suburbs of Umbria, since 2012 with extreme success. The “Umbria in Sugar Land” project aims at raising awareness of Umbria’s excellence though Cinema.
“Why Sugar Land?” We asked our Head of Foreign Relations for the anglophone area, Tiziana Ciacciofera Triolo
“Not only is Sugar Land my American adoptive city, but the State of Texas, the city of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County are amongst the areas with the strongest economical and demographic growth of the entire Nation. Therefore, among the most suitable to host an event aimed at promoting Italian culture, art, excellence, especially that of Umbria, by providing a window into the Spello Cinema Festival.” – says Ciacciofera. “The project aims at promoting tourism, food and wine, handicraft and other products of Umbria in Sugar Land, leveraging attendance through the quality and attractiveness of the Spello Festival” – continues Ciacciofera.
Next Spring, the city of Sugar Land, the Region of Umbria, the KCAM Contemporary Art Museum of Fort Bend and other local Italian organizations will organize “Umbria in Sugar Land”, an entire week dedicated to the presentation of Italian movies, seminars, workshops on cinematography careers and events aimed at promoting Umbria’s food and wine.
Thanks to several months of complex work carried out by Tiziana Ciacciofera Triolo (Project Director for the USA), Manuela Tentoni (Area Director) and Ana Villaronga-Roman (Director of the KCAM Contemporary Art Museum & cultural partner of the project), letters of intent among the parties have been signed, allowing to launch the first phase of the project.
The first phase of the project, which involves the participation of a delegation from Texas to institutional meetings and visits to discover the artistic and cultural heritage of Umbria is, in fact, currently taking place. This week, the delegation is also scheduled to meet with companies interested in participating to the project in Texas, this spring.
The Texan Delegation includes:
• Joe Richard Zimmerman, Mayor of Sugar Land;
• Lindsay Denise Davis, Cultural Arts Manager of the City of Sugar Land;
• Keri Schmidt, President of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce;
• Mai Pham, Contributor for Forbes Travel Guide, Luxury Travel, Houston
Press, Houstonia, Local Houston Examiner.com, My Table Magazine,
Dallas Morning News and Fox 26 News;
• Deborah Meehan Beauregard, Contributor for Absolutely! Focus Media.
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Scelte di Gusto will take part in this project as a Media Partner.
Alessandro Lo Iacono
Proofreader : Kelly Ann Larkin
