LOS ANGELES, 1st, Mar 11 – Italian block-buster comedies have been widely acclaimed both by the audience and the critics at the sixth edition of the Los Angeles, Italia Film Festival. American spectators have greatly appreciated Checco Zalone (and his two feature films written by Genny Nunziante “Cado dalle nubi” and “Che bella giornata”), Luca Miniero-Bisio-Siani in “Benvenuti al sud” as well as Fausto Brizzi and his brilliant comedies “Maschi contro femmine” and “Femmine contro maschi”.
“I would like to say Michele Placido, who has been widely acclaimed at L.A. Italia’11 for his action-movie Vallanzasca-Angel of Evil – declared Pascal Vicedomini, the producer of the Italian extravaganza that preceded the Oscar night at the Cinese Theater – that based on the success of our comedies in Hollywood, they can be easily exported abroad.” Despite Placido’s opinon – who earlier this year had argued with Zalone about the potential success of Italian comedies abroad – the brilliant results obtained by these films in Hollywood show that he was wrong. American audiences have greatly appreciated both Zalone and the Bisio-Siani couple mostly because of their art of mime and bodily expressiveness. Furthermore, the success of comedies is an American phenomenon, too and our authors are liked as much as their American colleagues. “It’s not by accident that American producer Avi Lerner is going to invest 30 million US$ in the next Gabriele Muccino’s comedy” added Vicedomini. “Today, Italian cinema has more chances than ever and our authors should be brave enough to look outside our national boundaries as Muccino, Paolo Sorrentino, Giuseppe Tornatore and Emanuele Crialese have been doing for years. Our filmmakers have the possibilities to raise money
for their films everywhere in the world and those who set to look only for Italian public funds –that are currently lacking – make a big mistake. The rest of the world is totally open toward Italians and “Italianity” and it’s up to our artists and producers to claw their way up through competition”.
Pascal Vicedomini has commented the success of the 6° edition of Los Angeles Italia with a quip that underlines the relevance of the global dimension. “Often time, – declared the producer – Italian Film Festivals are aimed only at satisfying the ego of the organizers who in my opinion should rethink their approach to international marketing and communication. L.A. Italia is successful because it is the “American pillar” of a broader project that twice a year attracts the “Hollywood elite” in Capri and Ischia. And Hollywood makes it up with a warm welcome in California at the peak of the awards season, where all the leading players of the sector are here.”
Produced in association with Eni, Alitalia and Rai together with Cinecitta’ Studios, Cinecitta’ Holding, Italian Independent Productions, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cinema Department of the Ministry of Culture; in association with the Italian Consulate, the Italian Trade Commission and the Istituto italiano di Cultura in Los Angeles
together with the National Italian American Foundation, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Cim Group and the University of Southern California, L.A. Italia 2011 has featured Marco Bellocchio, Kim Rossi Stuart and Luigi Lo Cascio. This year the Festival honored late producer Dino De Laurentiis, celebrated the 150 anniversary of the unification of Italy with Franco Nero
and Tony Renis who introduced a retrospective organized with Cinecitta’ Luce. LA Italian 2011 has showcased the excellence of Italian arts through the performances of iconic artists such as ballet dancer Roberto Bolle and jazz pianist Stefano Bollani and has brought the focus back to the earthquake-shaken city of L’Aquila with the participation of the young
students of the local Accademia dell’Immagine together with some upcoming talents of the silver screen such as Max Bartoli, Luca Fantasia, Laura Luchetti, Elena Bonelli, Francesca Calligaro. And last but not least, LA Italia 2011 has featured the American premieres of films such as Father by Squitieri, Rasputin by L. Nero, Arlantis Down by Max Bartoli. The calendar
of the Festival included the screening of four documentaries coming from Eni archives, Eni-Energia d’autore.
The eight-day Italian extravaganza at Chinese Theatre has been attended by actors Melissa Leo (Oscar winner as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the feature The Fighter), Joe Mantegna, Malin Akerman, Luke Evans, Sofia Vegara, Peter Fonda, Nastassja Kinski, Robert Davi, Sofia Milos, Tomas Arana. Tony Musante. Film directors Susan Bier (Oscar winner for A Better World), Joel Schumacher, Bobby Moresco, Steven Zaillian. Harold Becker; independent producers Avi Lerner, Mark Canton, Trudie Styler, Michael Burns, Heidi Jo Markell and Sanford Panitch as well as Paul Hanneman from Fox.
