James Franco wears two-tone denim as he receives an award during 16th Edition Marateale Film Festival in Italy – after years of public exile due to sexual misconduct allegations

By Valeria Garcia and Eve Buckland For Dailymail.Com

Published: 04:02 BST, 29 July 2024 | Updated: 04:02 BST, 29 July 2024

James Franco had a big night in Italy Sunday evening.

The Interview star, 46 — who recently hit the red carpet with his much younger girlfriend Isabel Pakzad in Cannes — was honored during the 16th Edition Marateale Film Festival in Maratea, Italy.

He looked stylish in a dark denim jacket with a gray graphic T-shirt underneath.  

His brunette locks were pushed back as she showed off his scruffy beard at the star studded event.

The former USC professor teamed the look with white sneakers and light washed jeans. 

James Franco was honoured during the 16th Edition Marateale Film Festival in Maratea, Italy

The festival was held from July 23 to the 27 at the Sul Mare Theatre within the Hotel Santavenere. 

Per the event’s website, this year’s theme was ‘Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea’ and honors both local and international film projects judged by a set panel.

It follows ‘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.’

Franco’s rare sighting comes after years of public exile and skepticism due to past allegations and actions on set. 

In 2019, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor was accused and sued by five of his students that attended his film school, Studio 4, for behaving inappropriately and sexually towards them – one accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex.

Franco’s attorney denied the allegations at the time, and eventually he settled the suit. In a podcast interview late last year, Mr Franco reiterated his belief that any sexual contact between him and his students had been consensual.

‘Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong,’ he said. 

Back in 2014, he had allegedly been messaging an underage girl, leading to him firing back: ‘In my position, not only do I have to go through the embarrassing rituals of meeting someone, but sometimes it gets published for the world,’ per Global News.

He looked stylish in a dark denim jacket with a grey graphic T-shirt underneath

The festival was held from July 23 to the 27 at the Sul Mare Theatre within the Hotel Santavenere; seen in 2024

Franco’s rare sighting comes after years of public exile and skepticism due to past allegations and actions on set; seen in 2024

He has been romancing Find Your Friends actress, Isabel Pakzad, 28, for the past eight years; seen in 2024

The actor has since gone on to try and repair his career, laying low while continuing to take on minor roles in newer films like Largo Winch 3, which is slated to release on July 31. 

Now, Franco is working on a new project following Alina of Cuba, a biopic of former Cuban President Fidel Castro’s daughter. 

He has been romancing Find Your Friends actress, Isabel Pakzad, 28, for the past eight years. 

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James Franco wears two-tone denim as he receives an award during 16th Edition Marateale Film Festival in Italy – after years of public exile due to sexual misconduct allegations

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