LOS ANGELES, August 1st, 2025 – Months after its dazzling 20th edition, Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Festival continues to resonate as one of the most impactful cultural events of the year. Held in the days leading up to the 2025 Academy Awards, the festival once again turned Hollywood into a stage for Italian cinema, fashion, and music, celebrating the deep and enduring bond between Italy and the United States.

As we move into the second half of 2025 and a new awards season begins to unfold, it’s the perfect moment to look back on the highlights of LA, Italia 2025 — and to start the countdown to Los Angeles, Italia 2026.

A Star-Studded Celebration

The 2025 edition honored outstanding figures in international and Italian cinema with the LA, Italia Excellence Awards, presented to:

• Ralph Fiennes

• Julian Schnabel

• Edward Berger

• Pupi Avati

• Jack Huston

• Diane Warren

• Nick Vallelonga

• Sergio Castellitto

• Antonio Avati

• Mauro Borrelli

• Marco Belardi

• Fabrizio Mancinelli

• Francesco Merola

• Francesca Ceccarelli

One of the most acclaimed films of the year, Conclave by Edward Berger, was awarded Best Movie, with Ralph Fiennes receiving Best Actor and Berger also honored as Best Director. The film’s Italian set decorator Cynthia Sleiter is also an Academy Award nominee, highlighting Italy’s excellence behind the scenes.

Premieres, Tributes, and Cultural Highlights

From the emotional U.S. premiere of “The American Backyard” by Pupi Avati to the world premiere of “Champagne”, the long-awaited Peppino di Capri biopic, the festival offered a rich and diverse program across multiple venues including the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Italian Cultural Institute.

Special screenings included:

• The Return by Uberto Pasolini with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

• The Last Supper by Mauro Borrelli, which closed the festival

• The Voice of Naples by Massimo Ferrari, honoring Mario Merola

• The Opera! – Arias for an Eclipse by Davide Livermore and Paolo Gep Cucco

Documentaries, Short Films, and New Voices

The Los Angeles, Italia Special Contest celebrated emerging talent with:

• Best Documentary: Tineret by Nicolò Ballante

• Best Short Film: Figli dell’arroganza by Anteros Marra

Groundbreaking works like I Am Crazy and You? by Dario D’Ambrosi brought together cinema and therapeutic theater, while over 80 screenings gave space to bold Italian and international storytelling.

Italy Shines on the World Stage

LA, Italia 2025 was organized with the support of:

• Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC)

• Intesa Sanpaolo

• ENIT, ICE, Italian Cultural Institute, Consulate General of Italy in LA

• SCABEC, Adamantis Europe Ltd, Givova, Riflessi – Made in Italy

Under the leadership of Pascal Vicedomini and chairperson Raffaella De Laurentiis, the festival welcomed major names including Franco Nero, Nick Vallelonga, Diane Warren, Jack Huston, Frank Grillo, and many others who joined hands in celebrating the global impact of Italian creativity.

Looking Ahead: Los Angeles, Italia 2026

The 20th edition of Los Angeles, Italia was more than a milestone — it was a promise of the future. With its unmatched blend of tradition, innovation, and international flair, the festival set a high bar for what’s to come.

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for Los Angeles, Italia 2026, as the journey continues and Italian excellence once again takes center stage in Hollywood.

Follow updates at www.losangelesitalia.com and on all official social platforms.

The celebration goes on. See you next year.

L'articolo LOS ANGELES, ITALIA 2025: A TRIUMPHANT 20TH EDITION – SEE YOU IN 2026! proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 25 – British actor Ralph Fiennes, Italian Actor Sergio Castellitto and director Edward Berger were feted last night with several LA, Italia Awards for ‘Conclave’ including Best Movie, Best Actor and Best Director of the Year. The ceremony was held at the Hollywood Chinese Theater.
Fiennes, who led Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini to victory at the SAG Awards last Sunday after winning the BAFTA, expressed all his deep love for Italy and gratitute to Italian cinema workers in Cinecittà’.
“We are delighted to honor a true cinema legend like Ralph Fiennes, who has given extraordinary depth to Cardinal Lawrence in a film that has already become a cult classic in cinema history,” said Pascal Vicedomini, founder and producer of LA, ITALIA. “And even more to express our admiration to a young master of Cinema, such as Edward Berger, and it threw giant of the Italian Cinema, Sergio Castellitto” said Pascal.
The most anticipated Italian-themed event worldwide is promoted with the support of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo and under the patronage of Maeci, Mimit, and Mit, along with the Italian system on the West Coast (Consulate General, Italian Cultural Institute, Ice, and Enit), with the participation of Scabec, Riflessi – Made in Italy, Givova, Rainbow, Studios, and Adamantis Europe Ltd.
LA, ITALIA 2025 was inaugurated on Sunday by Consul General Raffaella Valentini and Beverly Hills Deputy Mayor Sharona Nazarian, with the U.S. premiere of L’orto americano by Pupi Avati. The event was attended by the Oscar-winning screenwriter Nick Vallelonga, festival presidents Franco Nero and Raffaella De Laurentiis, actors Jack Huston, Frank Grillo, and Joe Cortese, as well as Oscar-winning composer Diane Warren.

(L to R) Director Edward Berger and actor Ralph Fiennes on the set of CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Philippe Antonello/Focus Features ©2024 All Rights Reserved.

L'articolo ‘CONCLAVE’ BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR AT ‘LA, ITALIA FEST 2025’. RALPH FIENNES, CASTELLITTO AND BERGER FETED AT THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE THEATER proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.

L'articolo UBERTO PASOLINI LATEST MOVIE ‘THE RETURN’ STARRING RALPH FIENNES AND JULIETTE BINOCHE TO HAVE A SPECIAL SCREENING AT HOLLYWOOD CHINESE 6 THEATRES proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.

EDWARD BERGER TO RECEIVE THE ‘LA, ITALIA DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR’ AWARD

LOS ANGELES, February 20 – German director Edward Berger, nominated for 8 Oscars with the film Conclave, following his recent BAFTA win, will receive the “Best Director of 2025” award on Monday, February 24, at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood during the 20th edition of the Los Angeles, Italia Festival. This traditional Italian event in the USA, held on the eve of the Academy Awards, is promoted with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Intesa Sanpaolo, with the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Enterprises, the Ministry of Tourism, and the participation of ENIT, Riflessi, Givova, and Scabec.

Actor Sergio Castellitto, who plays the ruthless Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco in Conclave, will present the European director with the award and will, in turn, receive the ‘LA Italia Excellence Award’ from him.

“Honoring Berger and his immense talent, confirmed with Conclave after conquering Hollywood in 2023 with All Quiet on the Western Front,” says Pascal Vicedomini, founder and producer of LA, ITALIA, who adds, “The sensitivity he showed in imagining a behind-the-scenes look at the Vatican, full of surprises, during the election of a new Pope, is deserving of every praise, and we are all certain it will bring him more significant achievements.”

“We are delighted to also honor Sergio Castellitto, a multifaceted and complete talent, a giant of Italian cinema worldwide who has been able to solidify his artistic career in films that are part of cinema history, often portraying characters of great moral, civil, and historical value,” declares Raffaella de Laurentiis, Honorary President of Los Angeles, Italia, who has worked since 2006 to promote Italian talent overseas during the hottest week of the global showbiz scene.

The names of Edward Berger and Sergio Castellitto join the already impressive roster of LA, Italia 2025, which also includes director Pupi Avati, who will present the US premiere of The American Backyard, actress Isabella Rossellini with a retrospective titled “Roberto, Ingrid, and… Isabella: The Beautiful Story of the Rossellinis,” and many other talents of contemporary Italian cinema, presenting 30 films in US premieres.

VARIETY

https://variety.com/2025/film/global/edward-berger-isabella-rossellini-los-angeles-italia-festival-1236314101/

CIAK MAGAZINE

https://www.ciakmagazine.it/news/l-a-italia-il-xx-film-fashion-and-arts-festival-nel-segno-di-berger-avati-e-la-rossellini/

ANSA

https://www.ansa.it/amp/sito/notizie/cultura/cinema/2025/02/20/edward-berger-regista-dellanno-al-festival-los-angeles-italia_51f2f69c-79f6-43da-978f-8b58e646dc7b.html

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

https://www.hollywoodreporter.it/film/festival-e-premi/a-edward-berger-il-premio-los-angeles-italia-regista-dellanno/135058/

HOT CORN

https://hotcorn.com/it/film/news/la-italia-excellence-award-los-angeles-italia-festival-edward-berger-conclave-pupi-avati-l-orto-americano-programma-2025/

GAETA.IT

https://www.gaeta.it/edward-berger-e-sergio-castellitto-i-protagonisti-del-cinema-alla-20a-edizione-del-los-angeles-italia-festival

L'articolo ‘CONCLAVE’ DIRECTOR EDWARD BERGER AND CO-STAR SERGIO CASTELLITTO TO BE HONORED AT THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE 6 THEATRE AFTER THE SPECIAL SCREENING OF THEIR OSCAR®NOMINATED MOVIE proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 25 – British actor Ralph Fiennes, Italian Actor Sergio Castellitto and director Edward Berger were feted last night with several LA, Italia Awards for ‘Conclave’ including Best Movie, Best Actor and Best Director of the Year. The ceremony was held at the Hollywood Chinese Theater.
Fiennes, who led Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini to victory at the SAG Awards last Sunday after winning the BAFTA, expressed all his deep love for Italy and gratitute to Italian cinema workers in Cinecittà’.
“We are delighted to honor a true cinema legend like Ralph Fiennes, who has given extraordinary depth to Cardinal Lawrence in a film that has already become a cult classic in cinema history,” said Pascal Vicedomini, founder and producer of LA, ITALIA. “And even more to express our admiration to a young master of Cinema, such as Edward Berger, and it threw giant of the Italian Cinema, Sergio Castellitto” said Pascal.
The most anticipated Italian-themed event worldwide is promoted with the support of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo and under the patronage of Maeci, Mimit, and Mit, along with the Italian system on the West Coast (Consulate General, Italian Cultural Institute, Ice, and Enit), with the participation of Scabec, Riflessi – Made in Italy, Givova, Rainbow, Studios, and Adamantis Europe Ltd.
LA, ITALIA 2025 was inaugurated on Sunday by Consul General Raffaella Valentini and Beverly Hills Deputy Mayor Sharona Nazarian, with the U.S. premiere of L’orto americano by Pupi Avati. The event was attended by the Oscar-winning screenwriter Nick Vallelonga, festival presidents Franco Nero and Raffaella De Laurentiis, actors Jack Huston, Frank Grillo, and Joe Cortese, as well as Oscar-winning composer Diane Warren.

(L to R) Director Edward Berger and actor Ralph Fiennes on the set of CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Philippe Antonello/Focus Features ©2024 All Rights Reserved.

L'articolo ‘CONCLAVE’ BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR AT ‘LA, ITALIA FEST 2025’. RALPH FIENNES, CASTELLITTO AND BERGER FETED AT THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE THEATER proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.

Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto will receive the ‘LA, Italia – Excellence Award’ on Monday, February 24, at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood during the 20th edition of the Los Angeles, Italia Festival. The event, a key celebration of Italian cinema in the lead-up to the Academy Awards, is supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture, Intesa Sanpaolo, and other cultural institutions. This honor comes in a special year for Castellitto, following his acclaimed role as Cardinal Tedesco in Edward Berger’s “Conclave”, a film nominated for eight Oscars and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He will attend the SAG Awards on February 23 alongside fellow nominees Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow.

Festival Honorary President Raffaella De Laurentiis praised Castellitto as “a brilliant and versatile talent, a giant of Italian cinema whose performances have embodied characters of great moral, civic, and historical depth.” In addition to receiving the award, Castellitto will be celebrated with a retrospective featuring some of his most iconic films, including “My mother’s smile” by Marco Bellocchio, “Dante” by Pupi Avati, “The bad poet” by Gianluca Jodice, “The best century of my life” by Alessandro Bardani, and “Enea”, directed by his son Pietro. The lineup also includes “Love & Slaps – A family on the verge of a nervous Breakdown”, which he directed, and his acclaimed film “Don’t move”, based on Margaret Mazzantini’s novel and starring Penélope Cruz.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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GAETA.IT

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IL DENARO

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L'articolo ‘CONCLAVE’ CO-STAR; SERGIO CASTELLITTO, TO BE HONORED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24th 2025 AT 6.00PM AT THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE 6 THEATRE, BEFORE THE ‘LOS ANGELES ITALIA FEST’ WITH A SPECIAL SCREENING OF EDWARD BERGER’S 8 TIMES OSCAR® NOMINATED MOVIE. proviene da Los Angeles Film Festival.