Another New Mexican premier will flash across the screen at the Italian Film Festival with the showing of The True Legend of Tony Vilar. This lively “mockumentary, tells the story of Italian-born Tony, played by Peppe Voltarelli, who migrates from Calabria to Argentina and becomes a one of Latin American’s greatest music pop stars. His megafame on the Argentine hit parade did not last long and he ends up in obscurity selling used cars in Brooklyn.

Director Giuseppe Gagliardi builds a picture not only of Vilar’s life, music, fame and fall, but Italian communities abroad with their emphasis on food, family and fun. The film editing keeps pace with the lively tunes. This film is rated 9.5 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Data Base. Film Festival audiences have howled at its showings from New York’s Tribecca Film Festival to the Dublin Film Festival in Ireland.

The True Legend of Tony Vilar is 93 minutes long and plays as the centerpiece of the Italian Film Festival’s gala opening on Sunday starting at 1PM, at the downtown KiMo Theater. The film will be preceded by a concert of Italian movie music by the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra and followed by the PRanzo degli Spuntini, at the Embassy Suites Hotel ballroom (see more on the Italian dinner in this program)