MUMBAI: The River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival, which is scheduled to be held in Italy from 5 – 11 December, 2008, will hold a retrospective on Bollywood showman Raj Kapoor.

The tribute is being held on the occassion of his 20th death anniversary.

The River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival is focussed on Indian cinema and is directed by Selvaggia Velo.

Supported by Mediateca Regionale Toscana-Film Commission, Provincia di Firenze and Assessorato alla Cultura del Comune di Firenze as part of the Cinquanta Giorni di Cinema Internazionale in Florence, the Festival will be held at Odeon, the 20s-style theatre located right in the heart of the city.

As well as a wide selection of the latest feature films, shorts and documentary films, the festival will hold a retrospective on Raj Kapoor (1924-1988), born in a great family of filmmakers, who lived in the golden years of Indian cinema.

The festival will screen three of his films in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals in New Delhi namely Awara (1951), Shree 420 (1955) and Bobby (1973).

River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival, under the patronage of the Indian Embassy in Rome, is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of the Cultural Heritage – Cinema Department, Regione Toscana and Mediateca Regionale Toscana-Film Commission, as well as Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, Quartiere 1 del Comune di Firenze, and Milan’s India Tourism Office.

Every year, the Festival shows the latest Indian independent films and works on India by Indian and international directors. Actors, directors and producers will be there to introduce their films and meet the audience and the press.

For each category, the public will vote on a film, which will win the River to River DigiChannel Audience Award, consisting in the free promotion of the film on DigiChannel.net for on week, a publication on the website, a presentation in the newsletter, an appearance on the homepage and the addition to the international DC network.