Los Angeles, Italia: The Italian Film, Fashion and Art Fest has returned to Grauman's Chinese 6 Theatres in the Hollywood & Highland Complex and runs through this Saturday, February 24th, 2007. The festival features special screenings of contemporary and cult works by Italy's most popular filmmakers, encounters with many of the key players in the film and television industry, conferences with students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and performances and exhibits featuring award-winning costumes.

On Thursday, a special film program of the Academy Award-nominated works of Ennio Morricone will take place in anticipation of a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award being presented to this legendary film composer. Ennio Morricone will attend with his wife, Maria and their son, renowned film composer Andrea Morricone and wife Alicia Morricone. Bobby Moresco and Raoul Bova will also attend, among others.

Renowned Italian film composer Ennio Morricone is best recognized for his magical score to the 1990 Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language Film, Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore). Morricone will receive the Honorary Academy Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) at this year's 79th Annual Academy Awards. Morricone is only the second film composer to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, which pays tribute to "his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." Although nominated five times, he has never won an Oscar. He received his first nomination in 1979 for the score to Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick) and again in 1986 for both The Mission (Roland Joffé) and The Untouchables (Brian De Palma). He also was nominated in 1991 for Bugsy (Barry Levinson) and in 2001 for Malèna (Giuseppe Tornatore).

At 7:00pm on Thursday, the festival will host the World Premiere of "Me, the Other" ("Io, l'altro") with celebrity arrival from 6:00-7:00. The film is directed by Mohsen Melliti, starring Raoul Bova.

ALL SCREENINGS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC - RSVP Online at www.losangelesitalia.com

Taking Place at Grauman's Chinese 6 Theatres:
Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028

The screening schedule for the rest of the festival:

Tuesday, February 20th, 2007:

11:00AM - BUGSY
1:00PM - THREE ON THE ROAD (BACIAMI PICCINA)
3:00PM - THREE STEPS OVER HEAVEN (TRE METRI SOPRA IL CIELO)
Followed by a Q&A with actor Riccardo Scamarcio
5:00PM - GUARDIANS OF THE CLOUDS/THE LAST PISTOLERO
Followed by a Q&A with actors Franco Nero and Claudia Gerini
7:00PM - THE INQUIRY (L'INCHIESTA)
Followed by a Q&A with actors Dolph Lundgren and Daniele Liotti and director Giulio Base
9:00PM - THE PUPPETEERS (I BURRATINI)
Followed by a Q&A with directors Maurizio Rigamonti and Lura Calder
9:45PM - CASANOVA

Wednesday, February 21st, 2007:

11:00AM - THE MISSION
1:00PM - THE ANONYMOUS VENETIAN
3:00PM - BLOOD TIES (LEGAMI DI SANGUE)
Followed by a Q&A with director Paola Columba and producer Fabio Segatori
4:45PM - THE HEART COMMANDS (AL CUORE SI COMANDA)
Followed by a Q&A with director Giovanni Morricone
7:15PM - NERO BIFAMILIARE
Followed by a Q&A with actress Claudia Gerini and director Federico Zampaglione
9:00PM - MARIE ANTOINETTE
A Tribute to two-time Academy Award®-winning Costume Designer Milena Canonero

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007:

10:30AM - THE UNTOUCHABLES
12:30PM - DEATH IN VENICE (MORTE A VENEZIA)
3:00PM - THE KREUZTER SONATA - WHAT IS LOVE? (QUALE AMORE)
5:00PM - FAMILY FRIEND (L'AMICO DI FAMIGLIA)
Followed by a Q&A with director Paolo Sorrentino
7:00PM - ME, THE OTHER (IO, L'ALTRO)
Followed by a Q&A with actor Raoul Bova
9:00PM - ONE OUT OF TWO (UNO SU DUE)

Friday, February 23rd, 2007:

11:00AM - MALENA
1:00PM - NEVER AGAIN AS BEFORE (MAI PIU COME PRIMA)
3:00PM - THE WISE CAT CATCHES MICE (IL BRAVO GATTO PRENDE I TOPI)
Followed by a Q&A with directors Nene Grignaffini and Francesco Conversano
5:00PM - BENEATH THE SAME MOON (SOTTO LA STESSA LUNA)
Followed by a Q&A with director Carlo Luglio
7:00PM - THE NIGHT BEFORE FINALS - TODAY (LA NOTTE PRIMA DEGLI ESAMI - OGGI)
Followed by a Q&A with director Fausto Brizzi
9:00PM - IT'S ONLY A ROCK'N'ROLL SHOW
Followed by a Q&A with rockstar Vasco Rossi and director Stefano Salvati!!!
10:15PM - THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE

Saturday, February 24th, 2007:

10:00AM - ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
1:00PM - THE STONE MERCHANT (IL MERCANTE DI PIETRE)
2:30PM - ANTONIO WARRIOR OF GOD