Morocco (film) agreed to bring the German actress to Hollywood under a two-picture contract, in February 1930. When Dietrich arrived in the United States to begin filming "Morocco" "[she] was subjected to the full power of Paramount's public relations machine" launching her into "international stardom" "before" American moviegoers had seen her as Lola Lola in "The Blue Angel", which appeared in U.S. theatres in 1931. Premiering in New York City on December 6, 1930, "Morocco"s success at the box-office was "immediate and impressive". Accolades for the film were issued by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein, film critic Robert E. Sherwood and filmmaker Charles
Taormina Film Fest Theater". Enrico Ghezzi, director from 1991 to 1998, renamed the show "TaoFest". Taormina Film Fest Taormina Film Fest, a historic film festival that began in 1955 under the name Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina. The exhibition, which moved permanently to Taormina in 1971, has hosted over the years many stars of international cinema: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Tom Cruise, Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, among others. The Festival is an "A" Festival in FIAP accreditation. The award is the "Nastro d'Argento"