ROME (AP) – Nicole Kidman premiered her movie “Fur” – based loosely on the life of photographer Diane Arbus – at the inaugural Rome Film Festival, which opened Friday.

“I wanted to support this festival and Italy,” Kidman told a news conference. “Film festivals are very good for small films like this one, the more we have the better.”

The film by director Steven Shainberg tells the story of the transformation of a shy 1950s housewife into an artist, a move triggered by a passionate love affair with Lionel, her mysterious mentor played by Robert Downey Jr.

“It’s a small, small portrait. In fact, it’s called an imaginary portrait. What counts is the creativity of the artist, what’s inside,” Kidman said. “My way of trying to play her was more trying to capture her inner self.”

The festival will bring a handful of Hollywood stars to the Italian capital, including Sean Connery, who received a career achievement award in Rome on Thursday night, Leonardo DiCaprio and Richard Gere.

“Fur,” which combines biography and fictional romance, was shown out of competition along with other premieres, such as “Alatriste,” a movie about a soldier living in 17th century Spain starring Viggo Mortensen; “The Hoax,” starring Gere; and Mira Nair’s “The Namesake,” about an Indian family moving to New York City.

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HAZLETON, Pa. (AP) – Potential bidders browsed through collectibles from books and art works to saddles and vintage cars at an auction of items from Jack Palance’s farm.

“Everybody can get a piece of Jack,” said Mary Postupack, who paid $113 Thursday for an intricately decorated oriental fan and a crystal plate with zodiac signs.

Keystone State Auctioneers Inc. expects to auction off 3,000 items in the three-day sale, with the priciest treasures, including an art collection Palance acquired while filming spaghetti westerns around the world and an 1879 Steinway grand piano, going on the block on Saturday.

The 87-year-old actor is evaluating what to do with Holly-Brooke Farm, named for his daughters, said Jess Morgan, his business manager.

Morgan said Palance, who lives on a cattle ranch near Bakersfield, Calif., hasn’t visited the farm in about five years.

Palance, who won the best supporting actor Oscar for 1991’s “City Slickers,” was born Vladimir Palaniuk, the son of a coal miner, in nearby Lattimer Mines. He fought as a heavyweight professional boxer in the 1940s, joined the military in World War II, and after leaving the service graduated from Stanford University with a degree in drama in 1949.

Local residents touring the old farmhouse remembered Palance’s return visits.

“He was not the gruff person on the movie screen,” said Sandy Schatz, who added that she would run into Palance at the grocery store.

Trish Palmer said Palance would show up at the supermarket, the wine store and high school football games, where parents would restrain their children from hounding him for autographs.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Elvis Presley will be reunited with Sun Records as part of a licensing agreement between the owner of the historic label and the singer’s estate.

Sun Entertainment Corp. of Nashville announced the agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. Thursday.

The company said Memphis-based Elvis Presley Enterprises has licensed the use of its trademarks in the name, image and likeness of Presley to Sun for several commemorative retail products. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Presley’s first recordings were with Sun Records, which sold its Elvis recording catalog to RCA Victor in the fall of 1955 as Presley was on the verge of stardom.

Original Sun Records owner/producer Sam Phillips and his company played a pivotal role in the careers of not only Presley, but also Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas, Roy Orbison and other important artists in rock, country and R&B music in the 1950s.

“Bringing Elvis and Sun Records back together in a special way at retail offers all kinds of exciting possibilities,” Sun Entertainment Chairman Shelby S. Singleton said.

Carol Butler, EPE’s vice president of international licensing, said the agreement with Sun was “something we have long wanted to do, and now the time has finally come.”

The new Elvis and Sun Records co-branded products should begin appearing later this year in retail outlets and online at www.SunRecords.com and www.ShopElvis.com. More will appear in 2007 during the yearlong commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Elvis’ death.