8 ½ (1963) was directed by Federico Fellini and it stars Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a famous Italian film director. Shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Gianni di Venanzo, the film features a soundtrack by Nino Rota with costume and set designs by Piero Gherardi.
The movie's title refered to the number of films Fellini had directed until that time. These included six features, two short segments, and a collaboration with another director, Alberto Lattuada. The latter production accounted for a "half" film.
The plot revolves around an Italian film director, Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), who suffered from "director's block." He is supposed to be directing an ill-defined film that is hinted at as being science fiction as well as possibly autobiographical, but has lost interest amid artistic and marital difficulties. As Guido struggles half-heartedly to work on the film, a series of flashbacks and dreams delve into his memories and fantasies; they are frequently interwoven with reality.
8½ won two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design (black-and-white). Acknowledged as a highly influential classic, it was ranked 3rd best film of all time in a 2002 poll of film directors conducted by the British Film Institute.

Ladri di biciclette (1948) (released in English as The Bicycle Thief or Bicycle Thieves) is an Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Luigi Bartolini and was adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini. It stars Lamberto Maggiorani as the father and Enzo Staiola as the son.
Academy Awards: Honorary Award, Italy. Voted by the Academy Board of Governors as the most outstanding foreign language film released in the United States during 1949; 1950.
Academy Awards: Oscar, Best Writing, Screenplay, Cesare Zavattini; 1950.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988) was written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It was internationally released as Cinema Paradiso. It stars Jacques Perrin, Philippe Noiret, Leopoldo Trieste, Marco Leonardi, Agnese Nano and Salvatore Cascio. It was produced by Franco Cristaldi and Giovanna Romagnoli, and the music was by Ennio Morricone along Andrea Morricone. Told in flashback, it tells the story of the return to his native Sicilian village of a successful film director Salvatore for the funeral of his old friend Alfredo, who was the projectionist at the local "Cinema Paradiso". Alfredo serves as a wise father figure to his young friend who only wishes the best to see him succeed, even if it means breaking his heart in the process. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1989.

Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) (1997) tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice (played by Roberto Benigni, who also directed and co-wrote the film), who must learn how to use his fertile imagination to help his son survive their internment in a Nazi concentration camp. The movie won the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. Academy Awards: Best Music, Original Dramatic Score and Best Foreign Language Film; Benigni won Best Actor for his role. Nominations: Directing, Film Editing, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay.

The Road  (La strada) (1954) is a neorealist film, directed by Federico Fellini. The movie is a drama about a naive young girl who is sold to a brutish man in a coastal town in Italy. Gelsomina (played by Fellini's wife, Giulietta Masina), a  young girl, is sold for 10,000 lira by her impoverished mother to Gypsy man Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), who makes a living by drawing a crowd to a square, expanding his chest to break a chain, and then passing the hat. Many years later, when Zampanò learns of her death in a local village, he experiences remorse for the first time in life and he breaks down crying. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1957.