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Italy and its film production are at the center of attention today also in Hollywood, where this week is filled with free screenings in the multiplex Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, a few feet away from where the Oscar ceremony will be celebrated on Sunday, March 27th, for the yearly Los Angeles-Italia Film Festival, which brings to the Californian city a large selection of the Italian production – both films and television – of the year. Well-known actor Riccardo Scamarcio was on hand for the opening on Sunday night, introducing the film he produced – and stars in – The Shadow of the Day by Giuseppe Piccioni, with Benedetta Porcaroli who was also present.

Javier Bardem, nominated as Best Actor for the Golden Globes and the Academy for his performance as Ricky Ricardo in Being the Ricardos, spoke to the journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press in 2004 about the Spanish movie Mar adentro (The Sea Inside) directed by Alejandro Aménabar, Golden Globe winner as Foreign Picture in 2005.   He supported the fight of Ramón Sampredo for the right to end his life, after becoming a quadriplegic at age 25 in a diving accident.

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), one of the HFPA grantees, champions emerging and diverse filmmakers and storytellers from around the world and provides a forum where filmmakers can be recognized for their contributions, have open audience discussions about their work and connect with industry professionals for insight on distribution, production and representation. We caught up with Larry Laboe, Co-Founder and Executive Director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, whose industry credits include producer for Ctrl (2009) and Fact Checkers Unit.

There is no doubt that SXSW is one of the most important conferences for innovation and creativity. And while it brings important conversations of new behavior, trends and technology, it is also a great place to spot your favorite celebrity.

South by Southwest isn't just tech and the metaverse.  There are screenings, Q&As, and meet & greets with famous names that make every Silicon geek or Hollywood fan’s heart beat faster: great minds from Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Cuban and Jeffrey Katzenberg to Pussy Riot.

Pola Negri was a larger-than-life actress who constantly made headlines about her personal life, which overshadowed the real talent she displayed in her movies. The ultimate self-promoter, Negri was photographed walking her pet cheetah on the streets of Los Angeles, sporting red toenails, fur boots, and turban.

The first full-length feature film (four reels) made in India was 1913’s Raja Harischandra directed by filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke. Phalke advertised in the local papers for actresses, but the only response he got was from prostitutes as acting was considered a disreputable occupation for women.

After a COVID-19-imposed hiatus in 2020 and 2021, SXSW’s back! Austin’s biggest festival returns with a vengeance – maybe not in size, as the event has been scaled down and mask-wearing and distancing were encouraged – but with an urgency to address social, political, and environmental issues here and now on Earth, out of space, and as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (XR Experience). Founded in 1987 to converge the tech, film/TV, music, and gaming industries as well as an expression of all forms of creative and innovative art, this year’s predominant theme of “South By” (as locals, fans, and SXSW pros like to call the festival which runs from March 11-20, 2022) is crypto-mania – with its hype and skepticism alike.

Fashion forward? While the world endlessly runs for 'next' - fashion forward is actually style. Clean lines.

They hail from 12 countries in four continents united in their love for film making and an abiding passion for storytelling. The fellows of the 2022 HFPA Global Residency are the largest group yet in the program instituted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association four years ago in partnership with the Toronto and Venice film festivals and with Film Independent, which manages the Residency curriculum.