The Italian Cultural Institute is proud to be a cultural partner of the 26th St Ali Italian Film Festival, co-presenting two remarkable films: Follemente by Paolo Genovese and Diamanti by Ferzan Özpetek. Running from 18 September to 16 October, the festival will take place at various venues across Sydney, offering audiences the very best of contemporary and classic Italian cinema.
Opening Night – Somebody to Love (Follemente)
Thursday 18 September, 7.30pm
Palace Norton Street
Following the global success of Perfect Strangers, writer and director Paolo Genovese returns with the record-breaking hit Somebody to Love, a hilarious all-star romantic comedy that reveals the innermost thoughts and insecurities of a modern Italian couple on their awkward first date.
Special Presentation – Diamonds (Diamanti)
Friday 26 September, 7.00pm
Palace Moore Park
Set between the 1970s and the present day, Diamanti is a dazzling all-star Italian box office hit from award-winning filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek. The story revolves around a group of dressmakers in a costume atelier in Rome, where past and present intertwine.
The film shifts between contemporary scenes and flashbacks to the Seventies, immersing us in the vibrant world of a theatre and film costume workshop.
At the heart of the atelier are sisters Alberta and Gabriella Canova (Luisa Ranieri and Jasmine Trinca), two women as different as they are inseparably bound, whose intertwined lives, loves and family stories shape the workshop’s legacy. Each woman who passes through contributes to its prestige and enduring success.
Diamanti is, above all, a heartfelt tribute to the art and profession of the costume designer.
Founded in 2000 by Antonio Zeccola, the Italian Film Festival is one of Australia’s great migrant success stories. Zeccola, founder of the country’s only national boutique cinema network, recognized the need for a festival dedicated to Italian cinema. For more than two decades, the festival has showcased the very best of Italian film, attracting over 85,000 attendees nationwide last year alone—an enduring celebration of Italian language and culture.
For further info and to book: https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/