The N.I.C.E. Party

JUST IN FROM ITALY: Italian film director Marco Ponti was the guest of honor Thursday when the Second Annual Italian Film Festival in Honolulu opened with a private reception at the Ferrari/Maserati Showroom on Beretania Street. The theme of the festival was "The Best of N.I.C.E. (New Italian Cinema Events)," and Ponti's film "A/R: Andata & Ritorno" opened the four-day event. Ponti and Claudia Pasquero talked about what's happening these days in Italian filmmaking while standing near the poster promoting his romantic comedy. Ponti translates the title into English as "Round Trip."

A FINE CAR FOR THE FAMILY: S.R.I. Prince Vittorio Alliata di Montereale, standing third from left, a platino (platinum) sponsor of the N.I.C.E. festival, enjoyed the reception with his children. Allia, front, looked ready to hit the road when she slipped behind the wheel of a Maserati Spyder GT. Azzorra got the passenger seat, and Fabrizio and big sisters Mirtilla and Yana stood with dad. The whole family walked over to the Honolulu Academy of Arts to catch the featured film of the evening, Marco Ponti's "A/R: Andata & Ritorno," after the reception.

LOVE THAT INSALATA!: Sergio's executive chef Marc Anthony, left, and assistant Dell Valdez talked with Dr. John Magauran as party guests were sampling an assortment of Italian food. Anthony's "Insalata di Mare," a ceviche-style seafood salad of fresh hearts of palm, rock shrimp, bay scallops and calamari, was one of the most popular items.

CAR TALK: Fred Piluso, right, discussed the latest advances in Italian automotive design with Roy Andres, exotic-car specialist at the JN Automotive Group. Piluso has been driving Italian sport cars since the 1970s. Back in the old days, the license plates on his Ferrari read "TURKEY."

A PERFECT FIT: Katie Nichols looked like a natural in the cockpit of a bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo. The "Baby Lambo" is powered by a 500-horsepower V-10 engine, goes from zero to 60 in a little over four seconds and has a top end of 190-plus mph. Just the car for getting to class on time.