Italian producer and president of Napoli football club Aurelio De Laurentiis was honoured by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) at its 35th awards gala in Washington DC on October 23.

De Laurentiis received the NIAF United States-Italy Friendship Award from Danny DeVito at the black tie event.

The industry veteran founded the production and distribution company Filmauro in 1975 in Rome and went on to release more than 300 films including Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, Pupi Avanti’s Il Testimone Dello Sposo, Robert Benigni’s Il Mostro, and Roman Polanski’s Pirates And Bitter Moon.

After a decade as president of the International Federation Of Film Producers Associations, De Laurentiis was named honorary president for life in 2003. 

He also serves as president of the National Union of Film Producers of Italy’s National Association Of Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries. He purchased Napoli football club in 2004.

During NIAF’s convention weekend the Foundation hosted the two-day Italian showcase Expo Italia.