This Weekend in Rome: July 20 – July 22

Friday: We’ve got some beautiful beaches within an hour of Rome, but the surf culture is a bit lacking.  To recapture the surfer spirit (or maybe just amp yourself up for the Beach Boys concert next Thursday…), check out the Endless Summer Festival at Parco del Torrione Prenestino in Pigneto, where they will be screening “Crystal Voyager”, with a soundtrack by Pink Floyd, “Last Hope”, soundtracked by Dirty Three, Sufjan Steven, Mogwai, and “Morning of the Earth.”  Movies are free and start at 9pm.  For those with a more French bent in their film inclinations, check out the Open Air Cinema festival at Villa Medici.  All month long, the villa is screening movies featuring the late Italian heartthrob Marcello Mastroianni and his daughter Chiara.  Chiara herself will be there tonight to present her film “Les bien-aimés” at 9pm. Tickets are 5 euro.

Saturday: There are a few major concerts on Saturday night, including Young in Rome fave Boys Noize at the Rock in Roma Festival, and Alanis Morrisette up at Auditorium.  Roma Vintage, down near the Terme di Caracalla, is putting on their standard Saturday night party Screamadelica, and though it is frighteningly named, entrance is free and the night promises a dance-worthy mix of alternative, indie, britpop and  new wave.  Up at San Lorenzo Estate, the summer festival in Piazzale del Verano, Bolognese band Lo Stato Sociale will be rocking out starting at 9:30.  Entrance is pay-what-you-want, and Saturdays at SLE generally include a groovin’ oldies DJ after.

Sunday: Roma Vintage is once again hosting a collective of vintage markets (including Vintage, Happy Sunday, and Mercato Giapponese) starting at 5pm Sunday, followed by a 9pm screening of “Lezioni di Tango”.  If your Italian language skills are a bit lacking (we have been cutting back on the Words of the Day a bit), then catch The Artist at the outdoor cinema at Castel Sant’Angelo.  Language is irrelevant when the movie is silent! Movie starts at 9:15, and costs 5 euro.  If you’re in a more musical mood, head inside the castle and take advantage of their late night openings all summer long, particularly because on Sunday, the standard 10 euro entrance fee gives you access to Castel Sant’Angelo until 1 am, as well as to a sunset concert by the Stefano Sabatini Jazz Trio.