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FULL HOUSE FOR ITALIAN CINEMA IN HOLLYWOOD. PENELOPE CRUZ, JEFF GOLDBLUM, DARYL HANNAH AND A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF OVER TWELVE THOUSAND IN SEVEN DAYS LOS ANGELES, 2/26/07 – The “Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Fest,” reaches its seventh day at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre with over twelve thousand spectators and an average audience of two thousand a day for the 40 screenings in the multiplex next door to the Kodak Theater, home of the Oscars. “After Penelope Cruz, Jeff Goldbum, Daryl Hannah, and Oscar winner Bobby Moresco, between tomorrow and Saturday there was other surprises in store, from Oscar candidate Forest Whitaker to the great Maestro Ennio Morricone. “It gives us great joy to see ‘Sold Out’ outside the theater,” comments Grazia Bottiglieri, Vice-President of the Cim Group’s main California event. The second edition of “Los Angeles, Italia” (www.losangelesitalia.com) is promoted by the Capri in the World Institute together with Fiuggi mineral water and the Venice Casino, with the patrimony of the Film Board of the Ministry of Culture, and the Regions of Campania and Lazio. The second edition of “Los Angeles, Italia” was organized with the direct participation of the Cim Group (the American holding company that owns the legendary structures of global cinema and that has also organized a massive poster campaign as well as set up three mega-billboards depicting Venice’s Grand Canal.) Also participating are the University of Southern California (on the evening of the 22nd it hosted a lecture by legendary director Mario Monicelli), the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles (which played a key role in planning the festival, together with Marina Cicogna, Franco Nero and Tony Renis), and the National Italian American Foundation (which is organizing AFI’s tribute to the ex president of the MPAA, Italian-American Jack Valenti). Not surprisingly, Mario Monicelli received a standing ovation. The films Volevo solo vivere (I Only Wanted to Live) by Mimmo Calopresti (produced in collaboration with Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation) and All the Invisible Children, produced by Chiara Tilesi with profits donated to Unicef, were triumphantly acclaimed. All of this demonstrates Los Angeles’ great desire to see Italian cinema on the eve of the year’s most important date: the Oscar ceremony. Standing room only also for the world premiers of The Inquiry by Giulio Base, Nero Bifamiliare by Federico Zampaglione and Me, the Other, with Raoul Bova. Among the personalities to walk the red carpet of Grauman’s 6 Chinese Theatre were Riccardo Scamarcio, Claudia Gerini, Raoul Bova, Mario Monicelli, Federico Zampaglione, Mimmo Calopresti, Valeria Golino, Tony Renis, Franco Nero, and Giulio Base. Not to mention the foreign superstars Penelope Cruz, 2007 Oscar candidate for best actress for the film Volver, Jeff Golblum, protagonist of Jurassic Park, Independence Day, and The Lost World, Monica Cruz, sister of Penelope and protagonist of The Inquiry, Gina Gershon, Dolph Lundgren, Mathew Modine, Oscar winner for best screenplay and Festival Chairman Bobby Moresco, and the splendid Daryl Hannah. Info: info@losangelesitalia.com