'Terraferma' to open Italo showcase in L.A.

"Terraferma"ROME -- The U.S. bow of Emanuele Crialese's "Terraferma," which is Italy's foreign-language Oscar contender, will open the 8th Cinema Italian Style showcase, which will run Nov. 10-15 at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater. Besides tubthumping a dozen recent Italo pics, the cinema marathon, organized by Cinecitta Luce and the American Cinematheque, will also pay tribute to late great producer Dino De Laurentiis. A four-minute clip from Mario Camerini's freshly restored 1939 "Batticuore," in which De Laurentiis had a cameo as a flower delivery boy, will unspool Nov. 10 during an inaugural at the De Laurentiis residence in Beverly Hills. The Italo showcase comprises Nanni Moretti's "Habemus Papam," Mario Martone's "We Believed" and Alice Rohrwacher's "Corpo Celeste," among other titles. Screenings will be attended by talent and introduced by La Repubblica's Los Angeles-based journo Silvia Bixio. Italy's culture minister Giancarlo Galan is also expected to make the trek. The Italian delegation, headed by Cinecitta Luce topper Roberto Cicutto, will also be promoting Italy's recently introduced tax credits for international productions. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com