Film director Pupi Avati will be honored with a retrospective at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on the occasion of the “4th Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Fest”, the “Made in Italy” and cinematic art event to be held in California from February 15th through 21st 2009 (on the eve of the Oscar Night ®). The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Istituto Capri nel Mondo Tony Petruzzi and by the director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Los Angeles, Mrs Francesca Valente who will be promoting the event together with CIM Group-USA, Eni, Casinò di Venezia. The event will also have the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in association with the Italian Consulate and the Italian Institute of Culture in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles event will be officially opened - on Sunday Feb 15. 8pm - by the screening of the latest film by the director from Emilia, “Giovanna's Father” (recipient of the Coppa Volpi Award at the Venice Film Festival as a best leading actor to Silvio Orlando) who will present the film together with his brother, producer Antonio Avati. To book your seet please write to rsvp@losangelesitalia.com (entrance is free. first come, first seated). The all programm will start in the morning of the same dau. It will be available on this web-site, soon.

The Italian talents will be welcome in Los Angeles by the “chairman” of Los Angeles Italia, the Italian-American director and screenwriter Bobby Moresco (Oscar-winner in 2006 with the screenplay of the multi-award winning feature film “Crash”), by the chairman of the American Film Institute Bob Gazzale and by the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Leron Gubler, who are already at work to invite as many celebrities as possible to the great tribute to this “Italian master of filmmaking”. On Feb 18 Pupi Avati will also receive the IIC Lifetime Achievement Award (previously bestowed to Bernardo Bertolucci, Carlo Lizzani, Citto Maselli, Mario Monicelli and Lina Wertmuller). The Avati brothers have accepted the invitation to L.A.Italia ‘09, after Massimo Ranieri who will be the “Ambassador” of Naples and of its artistic tradition in California where he will present his latest film “L’Ultimo Pulcinella” by Maurizio Scaparro (also screened at Rome International Film Festival).

Special screenings, meetings and discussions with the “aristocracy” of International cinema and TV who will gather in Los Angeles for the Oscar Night, photo and costume exhibits from “Made in Italy”, conferences with the students from the School of Cinema and Television of AFI, food and wine tasting and workshops at the Italian Cinema Lounge of the Hollywood & Highland Center, awarding ceremonies with the friends from global arts and showbiz (the “Friends of Italy” awards): this is the program of “Los Angeles, Italia 2009”, a real showcase for “The Best of” Italy in the ‘hottest place’ of showbiz a few hours before the legendary Oscar Night.