Marco Tullio Giordana'ssprawling six-hour drama Best Of Youth will open an inaugural annualprogramme of contemporary Italian films in Los Angeles on Jun 4.

Twelve pictures will screenunder the Cinema Italian Style banner at the Egyptian Theatre with the AmericanCinematheque in Hollywood, including Giovanni Veronesi's coming-of-age comedy CheNe Sara Di Noi' and Gabriele Muccino's romantic comedy Remember Me.

Other titles include ErmannoOlmi's wartime drama Il Mistero Delle Armi, Cristina Comencini's family drama TheBest Day Of My Life and documentaries in the form of Nanni Moretti's TheLast Customer and Gianni Mina's Travelling With Che.

Martha and Dino deLaurentiis and a host of Italian directors including Sergio Castellitto,Salvatore Mereu, Edoardo Winspeare, Veronesi and Muccino are expected to attendthe opening night reception.

Castellitto's drama NonTi Muovere starring Penelope Cruz and Claudia Gerini will close thefestival on Jun 13, which is organised in association with Cinecitta Holding,AIP Filmitalia and the Italian Film Commission of Los Angeles with the supportof the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Cinema Italian Style isproduced by Dennis Bartok, programming director of the American Cinematheque,and Italian journalist Silvia Bizio, who wrote Cinema Italian Style: TheHistory Of Italians At The Academy Awards.

Organisers are keen to showAmerican-based audiences Italian pictures that have not yet found a USdistributor. That said, Miramax plans to release Best Of Youth on Jul 2.