Borat, the smash cult-film hit of the autumn, will be previewed at the Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival on Friday, December 29.

After opening to big box office and big laughs in the United States, the creation of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has spread to the United Kingdom and France, and now will come to Italy for the great festival on the Blue Island after a stop at the Festival of Rome. In the satirical film, subtitled “Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” Cohen plays the part of a journalist from Kazakhstan who visits the United States and generates great fun at the expense of American culture. The film’s unexpected hit status will be to a center of debate at the Fiuggi Symposium, "Cinema, Where Are The Ideas?" that will involve authors, artists, sociologists and communication experts at Capri, Hollywood.

The screening of Borat further enriches the “Kimbo Premiere” program at the 11th annual festival. Other leading previews feature the new James Bond film, Casino Royale (December 28 and at that preview also the preview of 007 Royale Casinos (December 28 at Relais La Palma with an accompanying event hosted by Casino of Venice) and Raoul Bova’s Io, l'altro"(December 27).

Promoted by Capri in the World Institute with the support of the European Union, the Councillorship for Tourism of the Campania Region, and the director general's Office for Cinema of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities, the festival will screen some 70 films, including previews and reviews of the best films of 2006, and will attract on-screen stars and behind-screen leaders of the film industry.

Among the most recent confirmed are English actors Toby Jones (seen as Truman Capote in Infamous), Brenda Blethyn (a two-time Oscar nominee recently seen in Pride and Prejudice and now on the set of Lux Vide in Russia for a television series of War and Peace), and Sean Bean (a co-star in the Lord of the Rings trilogy), plus Dutch director Marleen Gorris (her Antonia’s Line won the 1995 Oscar for Best Foreign Film).

At Capri they will join Giancarlo Giannini (chairman of the event), Terry Gillian, John Irvin, Abel Ferrara, Amos Gitai, Roberto Andò, Mimmo Calopresti, David Ferrario, Fausto Brizzi, Enrico Oldoini, Ben Gazzara, Matthew Modine (receiving a Kimbo Coffee Friend of Capri Award in recognition for being the first Hollywood star to attend the initial Capri, Hollywood Festival in 1995), Gina Gershon, Massimo Boldi (receiving the Fiuggi Capri Acting Award for his career), Claudia Gerini, Franco Nero, Simona Izzo, Ricky Tognazzi, Donatella Finocchiaro, Mimmo Paladino, Giacomo Rizzo, Vincenzo Salemme, Federico Zampagliene and Enrico Ruggeri (receiving the Casino of Venice Capri People’s Music Award for extraordinary artistic activity and good works).