The 13th N.I.C.E. FestivalUSA will open in San Francisco on Nov 16 with a screening of Pupi Avati's Enchanted and closes on Nov 23 with the late Tonino Cervi's Antonia'sRecipes.

The Italian cinema showcasewas organised in association with the Italian Institute of Culture and RAIInternational, among others, and takes place in San Francisco and New York.

Seven new directors will beamong the competitors hoping to get their hands on the City of Florence N.I.C.EPrize, which is awarded in both the feature and short film programmes.

Before the start of thefestival, New York's Gramercy Theatre at the Museum of Modern Art will host aretrospective of director Fransesca Archibugi, whose credits include MignonHas Come to Stay, By Night Fall and TheGreat Pumpkin. The exhibition willmove to San Francisco.

The seven debut featurefilms in competition are: Francesco Falaschi's I Am Emma; Francesco Patierno's Pater Familias; Luca Vendruscolo's Raining Cows; Carlo Luglio's North Cape; Daniele Vicari's V-Max; Luca D'Ascanio's The Friend; and Costanza Quatriglio's The Island.