Los Angeles-Italia Fest Set to Honor Al Pacino

The legendary actor Al Pacino will be honored at this year’s Los Angeles-Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest. Lina Wertmueller, the honorary chair of the festival’s parent organization just announced that Pacino will be receiving the first Jack Valenti-L.A.-Italia Legend Award at the eight-year-old festival on its opening night, Feb 17^th in Hollywood.

This special honor is named after the president of the longtime Motion Picture Association of America and will be given out each year to an “outstanding Italian American who has made major contributions to the global motion picture industry.”

The Jack Valenti award will be presented to Pacino by his daughter, Courtenay Valenti,an executive vp at Warner Bros. This is considered to be the event’s highest honor, according to festival founder Pascal Vicedomini.

Wertmueller said in a statement that “One of the greatest actors in all of film history, Al Pacino established himself during one of film’s greatest decades, the 1970s, and he has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies.”

In 1975, Wertmueller set a record by being the first female director to earn an Oscar nomination for Pasqualino Settebellezze (Seven Beauties).

Immediately following the Oscars, the Los Angeles-Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest will run from Feb.17-23. 

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