Director Mario Monicelli has won the “Capri Legend Award – by Fiuggi," a special prize which honors an Italian legend in the entertainment world. The award was presented by Aurelio De Laurentiis, chairman of Capri, Hollywood 2006, the festival of international cinema held on this famous Italian Island December 27 to January 2.

Monicelli was honored Saturday December 30, at a gala sponsored by the Casino of Venice. He was among a plethora of Hollywood superstars including writer Bobby Moresco (winner of an Oscar in 2006 for Crash) and actor Forest Whitaker, in a race for the Golden Globe and an Oscar for his interpretation of dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. That film was screened at Capri as a "Premiere Kimbo" event.

Monicelli, now 91, has more than 80 writing credits and more than 60 directing credits in a career spanning some 70 years. He took part in the Fiuggi Symposium on the topic “Cinema: Where Are the New Ideas?” Other participants at the annual event, co-produced with Cinecittà Holding and the Chamber of Commerce of Naples, included graphic novelist Frank Miller (Sin City and 300), Terry Gilliam, Marleen Gorris, Kristof Zanussi, John Irvin, Mimmo Calopresti, Fausto Brizzi and Marleen Gorris.

The festival was promoted by the Capri in the World Institute with the support of the European Union, the Councillorship for Tourism of the Campania Region of Italy and the director general's Office for Cinema of the Ministry for Cultural Assets and Activities. The Capri, Hollywood 2006 festival previewed about 70 films during the Kimbo Premieres and the Casino of Venice’s Review of the Best Produced Films of 2006.

The stars and industry leaders who participated included director Ken Loach (winner of the Palm d’Or in Cannes Film Festival 2006), Claire Danes, Japanese Rinko Kikuchi (candidate for a Golden Globe for the film Babel), Toby Jones, Ornella Muti, Claudia Gerini, Bond-girl Caterina Murino, Roberto Andò, Federico Zampaglione, Adriano Giannini, Giorgio Pasotti, and many others.

In the attached picture:

Pascal Vicedomini (producer of Capri, Hollywood), actor Forest Whitaker, director Mario Monicelli producer Aurelio De Laurentiis and writer/director Bobby Moresco