APCOM

Five days to discover the best of local and international TV series. Until May 11th, Apollo movie theatre hosts the sixth edition of the 'Telefilm Festival', with over 150 screenings of episodes from 80 series. The absolute previews for the Italian public are 30. Since 2003 the event has seen a 30% increase of visitors: twelve months ago they were a record-15,000.

These numbers are based on the great success that television fictions have had in the last few seasons. Italians are showing to appreciate both home and foreign productions. As for the former, this year's stars are undoubtedly the protagonists of 'I Cesaroni', a series settled in Roma which, by narrating with irony the story of an extended family, go on registering extremely high audience rates. Three of the protagonists, Alessandra Mastronardi, Matteo Branciamore and Ludovico Fremont are meeting their fans on Saturday at 2 pm.

As for foreign works, in addition to the fresh episodes of some cult series like 'Lost', 'Desperate Housewife', 'Heroes', 'Ugly Betty' and 'Doctor House', TV-addicts will be delighted by the preview of 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl', a spicy English fiction based on the homonymous best seller by Belle De Jour, an anonymous blogger from London who tells her adventures after she chose to make a living as a high class call girl. An other quite uninhibited series focusing on sex is 'Californication', starring David Duchovny, whose last episodes of the first season will be unveiled.

The absolute novelties are equally awaited. 'Pushing Daisies' is a fantasy thriller created by Bryan Fuller which even got a Golden Globe nomination, while the world of teenagers is portrayed by Australia's 'H2O: Just Add Water', the life of three girls-mermaids, and 'Gossip Girl'. The latest has been inspired by Cecily von Ziegesar's novels and describes the life of a group of privileged teenagers who attend an elite private school in New York City. One of them, Leighton Meester, and fellow actor Chace Crawford, are introducing themselves to their future fans on Sunday.

Sharing a media experience in order to awaken public opinion to the issues around human rights. That's the principle of the 'Pangea Day', the interactive world event that takes place on May 10th whose Italian epicentre will be Milano. At Franco Parenti theatre people who will have enrolled through the website www.pangeadaymilano.it will have the chance to attend the screening of videos, short films (24 out of the 2,500 collected) and links with the other 'Live Broadcast Locations', from London to Los Angeles, from Mumbai to Rio de Janeiro.

The aim of the happening, which has been conceived by the Egyptian American documentary film director Jehane Noujaim (who gained the prestigious 'Ted Prize' in 2006), is to arise a collective reflection on such an important matter by using new technologies to go beyond all the boundaries, both geographical and cultural, that separate people and nations. In the same day the inhabitants of over 100 countries will be able to connect to the website www.pangeaday.org and watch online a four-hour selection of videos chosen by the organizers of the event, which is supported by the winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Al Gore too.

As a matter of fact the initiative's name comes from geologist Alfred Wegener, who in 1915 called 'Pangea' the super continent that joined the Earth's lands rising out of water during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages. Going back to Saturday's event, queen Noor of Jordan, journalist Christiane Amanpour and musician Bob Geldof are some of the known personalities due to offer their contribution. As for the Milanese stage, Italian singers, presenters and comic actors will take turns to entertain the public.