GUCCI Extends Seven-Year Partnership @ Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation

Gucci extended its commitment to preserving the artistic and cultural heritage of landmark cinema through a 2012 contribution to Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation for the restoration of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time in America (1984).  To date, Gucci has donated over USD $2 million to The Film Foundation in its restoration of seven historic film titles.

The new 4K digital restoration, which was restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with Andrea Leone Films, The Film Foundation and Regency Enterprises, and funded by Gucci and The Film Foundation, had its world premiere at the 65th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2012. "Gucci’s own 90-year history has consistently been influenced by film, and I continue to be personally inspired by cinema,”said Gucci's Creative Director Frida Giannini. “I am so proud of the restoration work we are doing with The Film Foundation to keep the vision of legendary filmmakers such as Sergio Leone alive for current and future generations to experience. We are pleased to be able to bring this particular film back to Cannes almost thirty years after its premiere there –only now, at long last and for the first time, restored to its complete length and glory as Leone originally intended.”

  

  

  

The film, Leone’s last, originally premiered out of competition at Cannes in 1984, at 229 minutes, the same version of which was released in European theaters that spring. The newly restored version to premiere this year at Cannes brings Leone’s masterpiece back to life, featuring roughly 20 minutes of additional scenes that have never before been seen by audiences. Through the work of The Film Foundation and through funding by Gucci, Cineteca di Bologna and L’Immagine Ritrovata are restoring the 229-minute version utilizing the original camera negative held by the US rightsholder, Regency Enterprises, along with the over 20 minutes of additional footage found and preserved by the Leone family.

Raffaella Leone said, “I feel very nostalgic and deeply moved that Once Upon a Time in America will be presented again in Cannes where it was originally shown for the first time. It will be wonderful to see the restored version on the big screen and with the additional footage of the original director's cut. Gucci, The Film Foundation, Cineteca di Bologna and L’Immagine Ritrovata, not to mention Regency Enterprises, made a dream come true by creating the greatest possible tribute to my father and his work. Working with them on this project has been a great privilege and I can’t thank them enough.”