The 3rd Roman Film Festival has been given a boost by Al Pacino, who was on hand to raise the curtain on proceedings last night, in an energetic ceremony which included a Brazilian style bash on the Piazza Navona.
Pacino has been awarded the Marcus Aurelius lifetime achievement honour for his glittering screen career, which has spannned 5 decades and many of the professions top honours.
On hand to celebrate the gala and the award with Pacino last night were Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe, Gus Van Sant, Jane Campion and David Cronenberg.
The festival itself is doing a good job of cementing it's position in the annual festival calendar, and boosting the reputation of the Italian Film Industry in the world market.