ROME, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Sophia Loren was offended by not being invited to the first Rome Film Festival, which got under way in the Eternal City last weekend, her sister says.
"We sat at home and ate chocolates," said Maria Scicolone.
Festival officials belatedly realized their gaffe and sent Loren a last-minute invitation, Scicolone said, but this only added insult to injury.
"A last-minute invitation does not seem to me the proper way to go about things," she said. "Sophia is not exactly an unknown."
La Stampa newspaper ran a front-page headline "La Loren Furiosa" and noted the world-renown actress was voted "the most naturally beautiful woman in the world" in a survey this month.
To show festival-goers what they missed, the 71-year-old Italian movie icon appeared on an Italian variety show, "Il Treno dei Desideri" ("The Wish Train"), wearing a spectacular low-cut evening gown, The Times of London reported.
Ironically, Loren featured prominently in a festival exhibition commemorating the glory days of Italian cinema, the Times said.
