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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.

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.

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.

As the opening narration of Last Exit: Space aptly notes, outer space has held a special place of fascination for humankind from time immemorial. We see it in our shared cultural history, spanning both art and science.

On the 23rd day of Russia’s war on Ukraine, our wonderful grantee, the Committee to Protect Journalists, held a panel titled “Human Rights Violations and the Dangers Facing Journalists in Ukraine”. Experts from both the CPJ and Human Rights Watch were on hand to explain the current situation and to field questions from other reporters about the war, ongoing human rights violations, disinformation and the dangers facing journalists on the frontlines of history.

Like their fellow countrymen, Ukrainian filmmakers have been defiant in their protest against Russia’s invasions of their country over the past decade or so. The recent war, which began on February 24 and is still raging, is the latest turbulent chapter in the relationship between the two countries.