We are pleased to inform you that the short flm 'Tavola' produced by LaudeAdHoc and directed by Nikolas Grasso has been selected for the 16th edition of the 'Los Angeles Italia Film Festival', an event founded by Pascal Vicedomini which takes place in Los Angeles from 18 to 24 April. on the eve of the 92nd edition of the Oscars.

The Festival takes place partly in presence at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, partly online on the streaming platforms Eventive and mymovies.it 'Tavola' is a docu-fction about the chance encounter of two Italian-Americans during a cold New York night in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Giancarlo (Margin Alexander) notices a neon sign that reminds him of home: “Tavola”.

Just as he is about to enter the restaurant, Nick Accardi (played by himself) is about to close. They discover that their families are both originally from Castelvetrano, Sicily, which is why Nick decides to welcome his "fellow villager" and cook for him, in a location that from 1893 to 2012 was known as 'Manganaro's Grosseria Italiana'.

The short, whose photography is curated by Andrea Pinacci, is an ode to Italianness, to the nostalgia that Italians who emigrated abroad, but also those of the second generation, feel toward the Belpaese and is also a hymn to Sicily and its culture. Ultimately it is an ode to the mothers who have raised each one of us by transmitting our language, traditions, and customs. The music is signed by Mariana Preda and Martin Jonas. One piece in  particular interpreted on the mandolin entitled 'Tra Veglia e Sonno' is the same one used by Martin Scorsese in his documentary 'Italianamerican' (1974).

Film critic Darius Azadeh in a recently published review writes: “Director Nikolas Grasso wonderfully constructs this My Dinner With Andre-esque piece with smartly constructed dialogue, good humour and inspired direction.”

'Tavola' joins the chorus of all those who miss Italy, especially nowadays when it is very complicated if not impossible to travel between Italy and the USA with the certainty that wherever we are in the world we will always bring in our heart our origins.

Here is the link where you can see the short flm until the end of the 'Los Angeles Italia Film Festival': https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/losangelesitalia/movie/7191-tavola/