Mafioso , originally released on a limited basis in 1962, was the fest's unequivocal high point. Pre-dating The Godfather and most other influential Mob films and directed by Fellini collaborator Alberto Lattuada, Mafioso transplants Antonio (the late, great Alberto Sordi), a Fiat factory foreman, and his family from their comfy Northern Italy home to Sicily to visit his family and his family. What follows is a rousing mix of dark humor, sweaty palms, and gangster mentality that consistently stretches the boundaries of the mob film and the idea of family dynamics as Antonio is asked by his Don to possibly consider getting back into his old profession. What becomes key throughout the film is its use of humor and caricature to attack the normal conventions of the mob film (Antonio's family is a lively mixture of overbearing narcissism and heartwarming loyalty). Lattuada died before he could come out of Fellini's shadow, but Mafioso stands as a testament to a great director who was never recognized for his mastery and skill of the celluloid dream.