L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano " I am very attached t o t h e c i t y o f L o s Angeles, I lived here for twelve years and m a d e f o u r v e r y important films right here." Italian director Gabriele Muccino returns to the city of angels, a place that feels like a second home, to receive the Filming Italy Achieve- ment Award, on the occa- sion of the well-known film festival Filming Italy-Los Angeles. P r e s e n t e d t o h i m b y H o l l y w o o d s t a r R o s a r i o Dawson - whom the Roman director directed in 2008 in t h e f i l m S e v e n P o u n d s , alongside Will Smith - the award is part of a day entirely d e d i c a t e d t o M u c c i n o , through a marathon where he presented his autobiography, La Vita Addosso. Me, the Cinema and Everything Else, in addition to screen- ings of his latest film, The Most Beautiful Years, and t h e f i r s t e p i s o d e s o f t h e upcoming series, A Casa Tutti Bene. The event was part of the 2022 edition of Filming Italy - Los Angeles, created and o r g a n i z e d b y T i z i a n a Rocca, Agnus Dei and the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles. The festival, aimed at promoting Italy as a f i l m s e t a n d a s a b r i d g e b e t w e e n I t a l i a n a n d American culture, supports I t a l i a n c u l t u r a l g r o w t h through its cinema, the inter- n a t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f I t a l i a n a u d i o v i s u a l p r o d u c t s a n d i n t e r c u l t u r a l r e l a t i o n s between directors, producers and artists. "I am very happy to return to Los Angeles this year, fac- ing a major reopening com- pared to the previous edition, with a festival that will be held 50% live but which will not abandon the digital plat- form. Thanks to the stream- ing platform, in fact, it has been possible to increase the participation of the public, including many young stu- dents located in different areas of the United States," Tiziana Rocca, who is also the Artistic Director of the festival, told us. "This year we focused on some social issues that I believe are particularly important, such as human rights and equal opportuni- ties." The honorary president of this edition was Giancarlo G i a n n i n i . F o r t h e g r e a t a c t o r , a n i c o n o f I t a l i a n Cinema, Filming Italy - Los Angeles promoted, in 2020, the awarding of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 1 6 t h f o r a n I t a l i a n a r t i s t . Iconic Italian actress and beauty Gina Lollobrigida also chaired the honor committee. As said, the event was vir- tual, as it was for the last two years due to the pandemic. "We have organized 26 mas- terclasses and several panels with many Italian and inter- national guests and artists, s u c h a s B i l l y Z a n e a n d Vanessa Hudgens, where we discussed the future of the s e v e n t h a r t , t h a t w a s s o endangered by the pandemic and the lockdown," Tiziana Rocca continued. "But all related industries of Italian cinema and the arts partici- pated, including best cos- t u m e s , b e s t s e t s a n d b e s t visual effects." A m o n g t h e v e r y f i r s t events to return in presence in Los Angeles with many live guests, and inaugurating the A w a r d s S e a s o n o f 2 0 2 2 , Filming Italy - Los Angeles opened with a live perfor- mance of Il Volo on the stage o f t h e H a r m o n y G o l d Theater. The band this year will travel the world for a tour that'll also have several dates in the US. For their latest a l b u m P i e r o , I g n a z i o a n d G i a n l u c a r e c e i v e d t h e Filming Italy - Los Angeles Music Award. "I have always loved the working attitude here in the US, especially in the acting f i e l d , " a c t o r S a l v a t o r e Esposito, known all over the world as Gomorra's Genny Savastano, told us. "When t h e p a n d e m i c s t a r t e d i n M a r c h 2 0 2 0 , I w a s i n C h i c a g o t o s h o o t F a r g o . Shooting, which was prompt- ly interrupted, only resumed in the summer. My biggest dream? Making a film direct- ed by Quentin Tarantino." The young Neapolitan actor received the award, present- ed by Filming Italy - Los Angeles in collaboration with Best Movie - Box Office, for a c t o r s w h o h a v e d i s t i n - guished themselves during the year. With him, also Pio and Amedeo who, after the screening of their film Belli Ciao, received the Filming I t a l y - L o s A n g e l e s B e s t Comedy Award. " F i l m i n g I t a l y - L o s Angeles is one of the most a n t i c i p a t e d a n d f o l l o w e d events for the promotion of Italian cinema in the United States. I am happy that it is o n e o f t h e f i r s t e v e n t s t o return 'in presence' in 2022, and one of the first of my mandate in Los Angeles," E m a n u e l e A m e n d o l a , D i r e c t o r o f t h e I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l I n s t i t u t e i n L o s Angeles, added. Amendola participated for the first time to the festival, after coming to t h e c i t y o f a n g e l s f r o m Washington DC. "This year the Festival proposed an even richer program, with Italian a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l g u e s t s , with the aim of supporting o u r c i n e m a , a f i e l d t h e Institute always paid particu- lar attention to. During the 2022 edition of Filming Italy - Los Angeles we also pre- sented the IIC Los Angeles Creativity Award, to recog- nize Italian excellence in the world in every creative field. The award itself is an original w o r k c r e a t e d f o r u s b y renowned artist and stylist Emilio Cavallini, inspired by the vault of the Pantheon in Rome." The prize has been already awarded to promi- nent personalities of Italian cinema, including Claudia Cardinale, Gina Lollobrigida, C a r l o V e r d o n e , C l a u d i a G e r i n i , M a r i o M a r t o n e , G i a n f r a n c o R o s i , L i n a W e r t m ü l l e r a n d G a b r i e l e Salvatores. This year, it went to Gabriele Muccino. "Filming Italy, which is in its seventh edition, has grown over the years to become one o f t h e m o s t a n t i c i p a t e d events of Italian cinema in Los Angeles. In 2021, despite the difficulties due to the pandemic, it achieved great success through the active participation of numerous Italian and American person- a l i t i e s f r o m t h e w o r l d o f entertainment. This year, a hybrid organization meant people could participate to events in presence in Los Angeles, but also allowed p u b l i c f r o m a l l o v e r t h e country to take advantage of the rich programming pro- vided on digital platforms," Silvia Chiave, Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles, said. The Festival this year was dedicated to the memory of Serge Rakhlin, Chairman of the Foreign Film Committee of the HFPA, and member of t h e h o n o r c o m m i t t e e o f Filming Italy since its first editions. A special award was dedicated to Carla Fracci: her husband, Beppe Menegatti, received the Filming Italy Best Movie Award in memory of the brightest étoile of all time. Present at Filming Italy - L o s A n g e l e s w a s a l s o Federica Pellegrini, the great Italian swimming champion: the documentary dedicated to her, Underwater - Federica Pellegrini, directed by Sara Ristori was part of the festi- val. On the closing day of the festival, March 3, a second p a n e l e n t i t l e d W o m e n I n E n t e r t a i n m e n t : T h e N e x t Steps, was organized in col- l a b o r a t i o n w i t h I T A a n d Alessandra Rainaldi, Trade Commissioner Los Angeles Office of ITA. " T h i s y e a r w e h a v e r e c e i v e d a p p l i c a t i o n s f o r m a n y i n t e r e s t i n g w o r k s , through which we discovered real and imaginary lives, all sharing together a quest, that to find one's life path and coherence, despite the chal- lenges imposed by culturally backward societies. Making a choice wasn't easy, which demonstrates the creativity of all authors and artists who Women in Film, Television and Media Italia wants to support, also by giving them opportunities such as this one. With it, we want to bring together places we are used to see often only on a screen. And it is essential that our screens, both physical and digital, open up to a wider variety of stories and points of view, and that the interest towards female artists grows. These authors must become a common patrimony, and not o n l y w i t h i n t h e r e a l m o f w o m e n - p r o d u c e d a r t , " D o m i z i a n a d e R o s a , President of Women in Film, Television and Media said. Il Volo at the Harmony Gold Theatre (Photo courtesy of Filming Italy-Los Angeles/Daniele Venturelli) Filming Italy — Los Angeles celebrates live Italian cinema SILVIA GIUDICI LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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