The 9th edition of the SIFF, Shanghai International Film Festival will be held June 17-25, 2006 in Shanghai. It is considered one of the most prestigious events in all of Asia and runs contemporarily with the Shanghai International Film & Tv Market, having become a major appointment for film professionals of Asia's Audiovisual Industry. This Festival, identifiable for its Festival/Market format, is a type of " Cannes of the Asias". As this is also the Italian Year in China, this year's SIFF takes on greater meaning with the attendance of a prestigious Italian delegation made possible and organized by Filmitalia with the contribution of Italy’s Ministry of Cultural and Heritage Activities/ Cinema Department , the Italian Trade Commission and as of 2006 has been granted the support of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Italian Cultural Institute of Shanghai. There are five Italian films in the Official Selection : The Earth by Sergio Rubini is in Competition, La seconda notte di nozze by Pupi Avati, The Listening by Giacomo Martelli, Tu devi essere il lupo by Vittorio Moroni and Sorry you can’t get through by Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are the 4 other title which are in Panorama. New to this edition is a special Focus section dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema called “Sketches of Italy” 7 titles chosen among Italy’s most recent productions which represent a significant selection: I am not scared by Gabriele Salvatores, The Consequences of Love by Paolo Sorrentino, The fever by Alessandro D’Alatri, I giorni dell’abbandono by Roberto Faenza, The House Keys by Gianni Amelio, Remember Me by Gabriele Muccino and After Midnight di Davide Ferrario). The Oscar nominated director Gabriele Salvatores will represent Italy in the International jury presided by French director Luc Besson. The presentation of Italian films at the festival will be heightened by the presence of an artistic and technical delegation coordinated by Filmitalia and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Culture, on hand to present their respective films, escorted by the President of Filmitalia Giovanni Galoppi, the delegation will include, besides the already mentioned Salvatores, Paolo Sorrentino,Valeria Solarino, Giorgio Pasotti, Nicoletta Romanoff, Giacomo Martelli, Vittorio Moroni, actress Valentina Carnelutti, producer Valeria Licurgo and screenwriter Angelo Pasquini. Filmitalia, as in past editions will occupy their own completlely independent and very visibile space known as Stand italiano,( unlike the rest of the European countries who will all share the same space), set up and organized by the Italian Trade Commission it will serve as a strategic meeting place for all of the Italian cinema reprsentatives in Shanghai, and be the operative base for all promotional activities occurring inside the Market, along with those concerning the Festival.