The 4th annual Filming in Italy – Los Angeles Festival returns January 29th through the 31st, 2019, at the Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles & Harmony Gold Theater in West Hollywood.
The festival features many personalities from the Italian Cinema Industry and Hollywood highlighted by film icon Gina Lollobrigida, who returns as Honorary President of Filming Italy – Los Angeles.
Actress Claudia Cardinale who will be the Guest of Honor for this year’s event and recipient of the Filming Italy Career Achievement Award.
Filming Italy – Los Angeles aims to promote Italian cinematic productions by highlighting the Mediterranean country’s many spectacular, and at times otherworldly set locations; as wells as the storied professionalism of its production industry.
This year the festival will screen host prominent Italian films for American audiences, on the big screen.
Filming Italy – Los Angeles promotes Italy as an international production hub and acts as a cultural bridge between Italy and the United States.
“We are delighted to announce the fourth edition which once again features great films and world famous Italian talents and to have the diva Claudia Cardinale as our guest of honor,” said Tiziana Rocca, Artistic Director in a statement. “Filming Italy – Los Angeles was created to bring to Hollywood’s attention the important cinematographic and cultural patrimony of Italy through the stars and films that made it famous as well as highlighting new talents. Our mission is to promote internationalization and the Italian territory. It is, therefore, an important occasion of cultural exchange for audiovisual productions.”
Festival Highlights:
GUEST OF HONOR – CLAUDIA CARDINALE
Wednesday, January 30th will be dedicated to our Guest of Honor, Claudia Cardinale, with the screening of THE PINK PANTHER by Blake Edwards (1964) a hugely popular film from an age marked by great and unforgettable auteurs. In THE PINK PANTHER with Peter Sellers and David Niven, Cardinale is the young Princess Dala deprived of her huge diamond.
During the night the actress will receive the Filming Italy Career Achievement Award and the Harmonist Annual Excellence Award presented by Lola Tillyaeva, but also the IIC Los Angeles Creativity Award from the Italian Culture Institute, Los Angeles, as recognition of Italian creativity and excellence appreciated all over the world. The award is an original artwork made specifically for the Institute by Emilio Cavallini, an internationally acclaimed artist and stylist, and was inspired by the Roman Pantheon.
GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA INDUCTED AS HONORARY PRESIDENT
One year after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Gina Lollobrigida returns to Los Angeles to be inducted as Honorary President of Filming Italy -Los Angeles, directed by Tiziana Rocca, and to begin filming on THE LAST DIVA, a documentary that will recount her extraordinary career.
“American films gave me so much and the Americans always remembered me, always! Receiving last year the Filming Italy award and the star on the Walk of Fame was wonderful. Coming back again this year is a true honor!” – stresses Gina Lollobrigida – “Not only, but right here in Los Angeles the shooting of the documentary about my life will begin. In the 50s I started my career here. Howard Hughes brought me to this extraordinary city that I had always wanted to visit. The war had given me the strength to believe in myself and when I arrived in Los Angeles I forgot the deafening sound of bombs. Cinema made me live my life and I thank Italian and international cinema per everything it has given me”.
“Coming back to Los Angeles with Gina Lollobrigida is a great honor for me. There is a deep friendship and high regard between us, and to be with her as principal photography begins for her new documentary, produced by Agnus Dei, makes me veryhappy,” said Tiziana Rocca “This year, Lollobrigida will also become fully integrated into the Filming Italy team as its Honorary President. To have such an international cinema icon as president will only push us to do our best.”
FESTIVAL LINEUP
January 29, 2019 – Screening at Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles
4:00 PM
UP & DOWN – UN FILM NORMALE – U.S. Premiere
Starring Lamberto Giannini, Pino Isegno, Paolo Ruffini
Directed by Paolo Ruffini, Francesco Pacini
Documentary, 75 min., 2018
5:25 PM
ANCHE SENZA DI TE – U.S. Premiere
Starring Nicolas Vaporidis, Myriam Catania, Matteo Branciamore, Alessio Sakara
Directed by Francesco Bonelli
Comedy, 104 min., 2018
Sun Film Group
7:40 PM
RESPIRI – U.S. Premiere
Starring Alessio Boni, Pino Calebrese, Milena Vukotic
Directed by Alfredo Fiorillo
Thriller, 87 mins., 2018
January 30th, 2019 – Screening at Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles
11:00 AM
THE PINK PANTHER (La Pantera Rosa) – Homage to Claudia Cardinale
Starring Peter Sellers, Claudia Cardinale
Directed by Blank Edwards
Comedy, 105 min., 1963
1:00 PM
MEDICI: THE MAGNIFICENT
Starring Raoul Bova
Directed by Jon Cassar, Jan Maria Michelini
Episodic, “Episode Title”, run time, 2018
7:30 PM
LA BEFANA VIEN DI NOTTE – U.S. Premiere
Starring Paola Cortellesi, Stefano Fresi
Directed by Michele Soavi
Comedy/Fantasy, 98 min., 2018
January 31st, 2019 – Screening at the Harmony Gold Theater
7:00 PM
THE ANARCHIST BANKER (Il Banchiere Anarchico) – U.S. Premiere
Starring Giulio Base, Paolo Fosso
Directed by Giulio Base
Drama, 82 min., 2018
Guests and Awarded from the last editions of Filming Italy – Los Angeles include Gina Lollobrigida, Rosario Dawson, Monica Bellucci, Abrima Erwiah, Paz Vega, Danny Huston, Vincent Spano, Oliver Stone, Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Cecilia Peck, Jonàs Cuaròn, Jeremy Renner, Andie MacDowell, Nat Wolff, Zack Peck, Lola Karimova, Spike Lee e David Cronenberg.
ABOUT FILMING ITALY – LOS ANGELES
Created and produced by Agnus Dei Tiziana Rocca and the Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles headed by Director Valeria Rumori, Filming Italy – Los Angeles promotes Italy as an international production hub and acts as a cultural bridge between Italy and the United States. The festival, under the artistic direction of Tiziana Rocca, is presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles.
