Paola Maria Savoia, native of Genoa (capital of Liguria, northwestern region of Italy), directly descends from the illegitimate branch of the aristocratic Savoia lineage, which was Italy’s former Royal Family (until the introduction of the republic in 1946).
About five years ago, her family and she left Milan, Italy, for a voluntary exile into Hollywood, CA.
Today, it looks like Italians in L.A. needed some royal blood to reinforce the bonds within their community.
Paola didn’t accomplish that, through Royal decrees, but through the Facebook group, “Italiani a Los Angeles”, which boasts 8300 members, and counting.
Strong suit of Paola’s group is the annual networking event/party, called Epicureology, which this year was held on May 12th in a beautiful location (in Gardena, CA), decorated as a traditional French plaza.
Please, introduce yourself. What is your cultural background?
My name is Paola Maria Savoia (aka “Paola Cipollina”) and I was born in Genoa.
In the 70s, as I was still attending a secondary school focusing on sciences, I felt a bent for entrepreneurship. At 16, I opened a fashion school, specialized in cut and tailoring/dressmaking.
In the 80s, what was born as a small project, expanded in fifteen branches across Italy.
At that time, I moved to Milan (major world fashion and design city), where I established the headquarters.
In the same capital city of Lombardy, my husband, filmmaker Max Leonida, and I founded the performing art school, Accademia dello Spettacolo (1995-2002).
We also owned our own theatre (Teatro Estremo, 2000-2003) and we created a video production company (Astarox Srl, 2003-2011).
What led you to relocate to Los Angeles and how was your adjustment?
Max and I produced two successful feature films in Italy, and – urged also by Jamie Weissenborn, former Senior Vice President at Sony Pictures – fulfilled our dreams, by moving to Hollywood, the Mecca of cinema.
When we relocated here five years ago, we had a ten-year daughter and we faced several challenges, including learning how to communicate in a different language.
Basically, we had to start from scratch, but, now, we feel fully adjusted to the L.A. lifestyle and we would never think to go back to Italy.
Three years ago, you founded Epicureology. How did you come up with its concept?
Everything started three years ago, when I met my business partner, Daniela Agostini, and together we initiated a Facebook group, called “Italiani a Los Angeles.”
The latter has been growing exponentially. Today it is made of 8300 members, and counting.
The high demand for networking opportunities with fellow Italians in L.A. urged us to create an annual event, called “Epicureology.”
The first edition had a down home taste. We hosted it in a house in Hollywood. Our special guests were leading figures from the Italian food industry, the likes of restaurateurs, importers and distributors.
It was a big success, so, last year, we repeated the same formula.
This year, we widened our objective of connecting the food industry with the entertainment sector. The latter fuels the first, given that myriad of chefs work as consultants for US celebrities and Italian restaurants are regularly attended by VIP.
Among our special guests were: actress, Katherine Kelly Lang, very popular thanks to her role as Brooke Logan on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (in Italy, simply known as Beautiful); Italian-American actor/musician, Lee Curreri, renowned for his role as Bruno Martelli in the film Fame and its spinoff TV series and Italian-American actor, Vincent Spano, who acquired popularity among Italian audiences, thanks to his role as mafia boss, Rodolfo di Venanzio in the drama TV series, L’onore e il rispetto – Parte seconda (2009).
We had a generous sponsorship by Gianluca Paci, Assistant Vice President and Business Development Officer at the L.A. branch of Bank of the West. His backing is not limited to us, but he supports the entire local community of Italians.
What were the biggest challenges in the previous years? Is there anything you have learned from the past editions?
The organization of events has always been my bread and butter. In the case at hand, it was crucial to identify which was the real demand.
I found out that restaurateurs are more sought after by the food producers, than importers or distributors, who are hesitant to come out of their usual circles.
Tell us more about the artists/chefs, who took part to 2016 edition.
The evening’s host was Ernest Pierce, who led us through a culinary and entertaining journey.
As far as chefs, we had Vito Iacopelli, pizza maker, who recently opened the pizzeria, “Prova”, in West Hollywood.
Thanks to his portable wood-oven, he prepared several varieties of pizzas on the spot, showing us the simplicity and accuracy, needed for a thin crusted delicious dough, combined with the best Italian ingredients.
Chef Christian Simionato, with his cook demonstration on how to prepare hand-made “gnocchi al sugo finto” (a vegetarian ragu).
He has just kick-started a very original catering business, called “Saor”. Christian and his team of chefs not only go to cook delicious Italian food in their customers’ homes, but they bring a surprise guest with them (an Italian artist or entertainer).
Chef Fabio Ugoletti, who is in charge of the restaurant, “Bettolino Kitchen” (in Redondo Beach), showed us how to prepare a creamy risotto, flavored with Balsamic vinegar.
Last but not least, Chef Raffaele Buonaiuto (aka “Chef Raff”), the only one who does not reside in L.A., proudly represented his hometown, Naples, by cooking the traditional recipe of “Paccheri allo Scarpariello.” Nothing but the tube-shaped pasta, sautéed with tomato sauce (made with authentic San Marzano tomatoes), extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.
As far as artists, hip hop singer/songwriter, Sammy C, and R&B singer/songwriter, Favor Valentine, performed on stage, while Italian nineteen years old dancer (and student at the Stella Adler drama school), Serena Limonta, accompanied with her own choreography.
Sum up for us your film producing activity, alongside your husband, filmmaker Max Leonida.
After one and a half year, since our relocation in the States, Max was hired from a production company to direct the feature film Beauty in The Broken (2015).
Between next September and October, my husband is finally going to realize his own feature film, The Nemesis, a psychological thriller, written and directed by himself and fully produced in the US.
Major talent and literary agency, ICM Partners, upon reading Max’s screenplay, announced its intention to take part to the project and offered a cast list of A-level actors for the leading role, including, among others, Al Pacino, Willem Defoe and Tim Robbins.
Max has been simultaneously hired, together with US producers, Jonathan Looper and Vadim Dardagani, to direct a film, Light Wounds, which explores the theme of schizophrenia.
Last but not least, producer Kim Kopf and myself are producing an horror/thriller, Experiment 77, which is going to feature the legendary British actor, Malcom McDowell.
Last August, Max and I also realized the first episode of an Italian-American sitcom, Bruna in Beverly Hills, which we are now shopping around several international TV networks, the likes of Mediaset and BBC.
Do you like living in Los Angeles? Do you have contacts with the local Italian-American community?
I love living in L.A. What I was able to accomplish here in mere five years, I would have never been able to do in an entire life, spent in Italy.
Here, meritocracy takes over Italy’s widespread nepotism.
Thanks to our Facebook group, “Italiani a Los Angeles”, we keep in touch with almost every Italian in L.A. We regularly organize events and get-togethers, for the mere pleasure of spending time in each other’s company.
Just to give you an idea, we have scheduled a group hiking up to the Hollywood Sign, on June 5th, which is going to have a massive participation.
We constantly receive a positive feedback on Facebook, but we work to make it better and better.
A source of pride comes also from our ability to prevent our fellow Italians to get scammed.
I have a great relationship with the Italian Cultural Institute in L.A. and I even hosted some events there in the past.
Similarly, I have excellent relationships with both the L.A.’s Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE).
A special thanks to L’Italo-Americano, for having enthusiastically covered our events, giving always voice to our community.
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