Pacino Represents N.Y. At Rome Film Fest

Oscar-Winning Actor Collectes Award For Actors Studio Of New York - A Theater Workshop Of Which He Is Co-President

(AP)  Hollywood star Al Pacino kicked off the third edition of the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday, where he received an acting award and met with a festive crowd of fans.

The Oscar-winning actor collected a prize awarded to the Actors Studio of New York - a theater workshop of which he is co-president - and attended a public meeting where he answered questions from moviegoers.

Pacino, who won the best actor Oscar for the 1992 "Scent of a Woman," said that the best tip he could give about acting was "to rehearse."

"Learn your words, and how to rehearse, and then rehearse," he told reporters ahead of the award ceremony. "My style is to allow the unconscious to be free, so you don't censor yourself."

In his latest movie, the 68-year-old actor co-stars with Robert De Niro in "Righteous Kill," a story of two policemen chasing a serial killer.

Pacino also talked briefly about his new movie - "Salomaybe?" - a film inspired by Oscar Wilde's once-banned theater play on the lustful biblical character Salome.

The actor, who presented a short trailer of the movie, also hinted the film could be presented next year at the Rome festival.

The Rome Film Festival, which runs through Oct. 31, will host the world premiere of "8" (Huit), a U.N.-backed movie made of eight short segments that aims to raise awareness of world poverty.

The segments are directed by movie makers including Wim Wenders, Jane Campion and Gus Van Sant. The film is inspired by the U.N. Millennium Development Goals which were adopted by world leaders in 2000 to cut poverty and disease and improve health care and education for the world's poor by 2015.