L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 7 Gia Coppola and Peroni presented the Grazie Cinema Series screening in L.A. NANCY CASAS B ringing the art of classic I t a l i a n c i n e m a t o L o s A n g e l e s , t h e G r a z i e C i n e m a S e r i e s h o s t e d a screening of a cinematic Italian film, prefaced by the premiere of an original short film directed by Tracy Antonopoulos. The series had a grand kick off by hosting the screening of Pietro Germi's comedy Divorce Italian Style (1961), on June 9 th up on the r o o f t o p o f N e w Y o r k C i t y ' s Hudson Hotel. The next series was a screening of Vittorio De Sica's drama-filled coming-of- age story The Bicycle Thieves on July 29 th at L.A.'s Mondrian Hotel Skybar. Guests including m u s i c i a n R y a n C a b r e r a a n d M i c h a e l J a c k s o n ' s n e p h e w A u s t i n B r o w n a t t e n d e d t h e e v e n t . W i t h P e r o n i N a s t r o Azzuro for a sponsor and Gia C o p p o l a a s t h e c u r a t o r , t h e Grazie Cinema Series hit The Big Apple earlier this year, is now leaving Los Angeles, and will target Miami for the next screening around September or early October. I n o r d e r t o i n s p i r e a n d appreciate the style, vision, and c r a f t o f I t a l i a n C i n e m a , L o s Angeles is "An artistic, cultural hub for films and the perfect place to showcase how Italian masterpieces continue to impact the modern movie industry," stated the global manager of Peroni Tristan Meline. K n o w n f o r h e r m u s i c d u o with Ben Morsberger, called "Cable," Tracy Antonopoulos showcased the premiere of her The Magic Word, a short film heavily influenced by Fellini's work and 1970's Italian cinema, and was thrilled to celebrate historic movies and bring them to a modern day vision of her own. Her five-minute film is a creative, modern twist to an Italian cinematic style about a moody girl entering a café. It transitions from black and white tones into a colorful, fun world t h r o u g h o u t h e r w a n d e r i n g journey to portray the joyful side of life. T r a c y , h o w w o u l d y o u d e s c r i b e y o u r e x p e r i e n c e being involved in the Grazie C i n e m a S e r i e s a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y w i t h a n L . A . audience? Peroni has always honored the true style and artistry of Italian film, so I was thrilled when both Peroni and Gia asked me to contribute. This was a c h a n c e t o c e l e b r a t e t h e s e extraordinary pieces of Italian c i n e m a t i c h i s t o r y i n a v e r y authentic way by transitioning it into a modernized version of my o w n . I t w a s a n i n c r e d i b l e opportunity and I couldn't be happier on the outcome of The Magic Word. Hosting the L.A. s c r e e n i n g w a s j u s t a continuation of the celebration and, with Gia being from the area, more of our close friends were able to enjoy the whole premise of the series firsthand, making it an even more special event. It was just an overall amazing experience that I'm grateful for. And how would you say the L . A . c o m m u n i t y h a s responded to the screening of The Bicycle Thieves? I think it has been a positive r e s p o n s e w i t h a g r e a t o u t c o m e . T h e d e s i g n o f t h e e v e n t h a d l o t s o f c h a r m , channeling the effortless beauty of the Italian summer and the classic Californian sunset. The m o v i e i t s e l f i s a b e a u t i f u l c o m i n g - o f - a g e s t o r y t h a t captures the authenticity of an Italian cinematic drama. Coming from an artistic and t a l e n t e d f a m i l y , G i a ' s g r a n d f a t h e r F r a n c i s F o r d Coppola, her father Gian-Carlo Coppola, and her aunt Sofia Coppola have all been involved in the film and cinema industry. As an Italian American film d i r e c t o r , s c r e e n w r i t e r , a n d actress, Gia is native to the L.A. area and is known for films such Palo Alto, Casino Moon, and Blood Orange: You're Not Good E n o u g h . H a v i n g a v i s i o n t o celebrate the legacy of Italian f i l m , c u r a t i n g t h e G r a z i e Cinema Series has given her the opportunity to share her passion with a wider audience. Gia, how have your family involvement in cinema and y o u r I t a l i a n b a c k g r o u n d influenced your career? I would say I've taken some cues from them, definitely. I've always loved writing and telling stories. I was lucky enough to experience the film industry at a young age, so I developed a h u n g e r a n d p a s s i o n f o r i t . Having so many friends and family in the film world has also m a d e f o r s o m e t r u l y s p e c i a l opportunities to collaborate. The films I've chosen for the series share a visual story of memories and inspiration. They are films I feel epitomize and celebrate my heritage and the timeless beauty of Italian film in an incredibly authentic way. What would be an outcome y o u ' d d e s i r e f r o m t h e a u d i e n c e a f t e r w a t c h i n g Italian cinema classics? I w a n t a u d i e n c e s t o f e e l t h e y ' r e r e a l l y e x p e r i e n c i n g something special. Thanks to P e r o n i , w e ' v e h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m a k e i t t r u l y unique and something I'm super excited to be a part of. Tracy Antonopoulos & Gia Coppola. Photo by Craig Barritt Gia Coppola's & Peroni Grazie Cinema Series. Photo by Claire Bloom

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