James Franco had a big night in Italy on Sunday night.
The 46-year-old Interview star, who recently walked the red carpet with his much younger girlfriend Isabel Pakzad in Cannes, was honoured during the 16th edition of the Marateale Film Festival in Maratea, Italy.
He looked stylish in a dark denim jacket and a grey printed T-shirt underneath.
Her brunette locks were slicked back as she showed off her scruffy beard at the star-studded event.
The former USC professor paired the look with white sneakers and light-wash jeans.
James Franco was honored during the 16th edition of the Marateale Film Festival in Maratea, Italy
The festival was held from 23 to 27 July at the Teatro Sul Mare of the Hotel Santavenere.
According to the event websiteThis year’s theme was “The Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea” and honours local and international film projects judged by an established panel.
‘Five days dedicated to cinema and beyond, with events, screenings, meetings, all open to the public, under the artistic direction of Nicola Timpone with the collaboration of Antonella Caramia’, follow.
Franco’s rare sighting comes after years of public exile and skepticism due to past accusations and actions on set.
In 2019, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor was accused and sued by five of his students who attended his film school, Studio 4, for behaving inappropriately and sexually towards them; one accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex on him.
Franco’s lawyer denied the allegations at the time and eventually settled the case. In a podcast interview late last year, Franco reiterated his belief that any sexual contact between him and his students had been consensual.
“Throughout my teaching career, I slept with students and that was wrong,” she said.
In 2014, he had allegedly been messaging an underage girl, prompting him to respond: “In my position, not only do I have to go through the embarrassing rituals of meeting someone, but sometimes it’s posted for the whole world to see,” according to Global News.
He looked stylish in a dark denim jacket and a grey printed T-shirt underneath.
The festival was held from 23 to 27 July at the Teatro Sul Mare of the Hotel Santavenere; seen in 2024
Rare Franco sighting comes after years of public exile and skepticism due to past accusations and actions on set; seen in 2024
He has been dating Find Your Friends actress Isabel Pakzad, 28, for the past eight years; seen in 2024
The actor has since attempted to repair his career, keeping a low profile while continuing to take on minor roles in newer films like Largo Winch 3, which is scheduled for release on July 31.
Now, Franco is working on a new project after Alina de Cuba, a biopic of the daughter of former Cuban President Fidel Castro.
He has been dating Find Your Friends actress Isabel Pakzad, 28, for the past eight years.