The second annual Los Angeles Italian Film Awards Week will open on April 25 with the world premiere of Mauro Borrelli's Italian/American comedy Goodbye Casanova starring Giancarlo Scandiuzzi, Yasmine Bleeth and Flea, the lead bassist from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

The event which runs April 25-29 is designed to introduce new film and film-makers from Italy to the Hollywood film community and the public, while also celebrating classic Italian cinema.

Goodbye Casanova is a fairytale romance set in an Italian neighbourhood bookstore where the ghost of Casanova lives in a children's 17th Century pop-up book. Produced by Borrelli/Kirshbaum Productions, the film is the first feature from Borrelli, a conceptual artist who worked on the visual designs of Dick Tracy, What Dreams May Come, Sleepy Hollow, Bicentennial Man, Little Buddha, The Godfather - Part III and The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen.

Among the other new Italian films being screened are Figli Di Annibale (Children Of Hannibal) directed by Davide Ferrario, Libero Burro directed by actor Sergio Castellito and The Protagonist directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Tony Mortillaro's Italian American Pride & Peril closes the event on April 29; the screening is followed by an awards dinner which will honour Giorgio Moroder for outstanding achievement in music, Carlo Rambaldi for outstanding achievement in special effects and Dante Spinotti for outstanding achievement in cinematography.

Tribute will also be paid to Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci with screenings on April 27 of The Conformist, Last Tango In Paris and The Tragedy Of A Ridiculous Man.