The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis / St. Paul, in partnership with MSP Film Society, is thrilled to bring the 15th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul (IFF) with 10 of the best contemporary films never before seen in Minnesota and 2 all time classics.

All films presented with English subtitles.

Schedule of Events:

February 29, 2024:

7:30 PM: La Chimera

Aperitivo Italiano & Opening Night Film | Minnesote Premiere | Director: Alice Rohrwacher | Fiction | 130 min | 2023

Includes Aperitivo Italiano from 6:00 to 7:00 PM: Drinks, Appetizers and Great Company!

La Chimera is the story of the ups and downs of a gang of tombaroli, or grave-robbers, violators of Etruscan tombs and peddlers of antiques to local fences. It is set in the 1980s when anyone who decided to become a tombarolo - crossing the tacit dividing line between the sacred and the violable - did so to turn the past around, to become new, something else. The tombaroli were, unquestionably, strong, youthful - and damned. The naivety of the people who had buried the stuff made them laugh. Indeed, they wondered how it was actually possible for a people to leave all that wealth underground for souls...

But never mind souls - they wanted to enjoy the gold themselves, and how! The Etruscans dedicated their art, their craftsmanship and their resources to the invisible. For the grave-robbers, the invisible simply didn’t exist. According to the cantastorie, or ballad-singer, we meet in the film, “The tombarolo is a drop in the ocean”. And it happens to be true.

La Chimera addresses one of the broadest questions to affect Italy and the many other countries that are cradles of ancient civilisations in the 20th century - especially since the war. Namely the ancient art market and the illicit trading of archaeological treasures in particular.

With a stellar cast featuring Isabella Rossellini, Alba Rohrwacher and Josh O’Connor (Emmy and Golden Globe award winner for his portrayal of young prince Charles in The Crown, and starring aside Zendaya in Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming feature), La Chimera was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and was presented at the New York Film Festival in 2023.

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March 1, 2024:

1:30 PM: La Stranezza (Strangeness)

Introduction by Pieranna Garavaso, Professor Emerita of Philosophy, University of Minnesota Morris | Minnesota Premiere | Director: Roberto Andò | Fiction | 104 min | 2022

In 1921, Luigi Pirandello brought his most ground-breaking work, Six Characters in Search of an Author, to the stage in Rome’s Teatro Valle, a play which was so ground-breaking that at the end of the performance, a veritable tussle broke out, in which the audience shouted “shame!”, “madness!” and “fraud!” and made clear their disapproval of Pirandello’s audacious experiment. But how did the idea for this work, which tore down the fourth wall and broke mise en scene rules, come to the great Sicilian playwright, who would go on to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 13 years later? Roberto Andò imagines the answer to this question in La Stranezza.

Toni Servillo stars as Luigi Pirandello, who, on a trip to his native Sicily in 1920, encounters a pair of gravediggers/aspiring actors and playwrights, Onofrio and Sebastiano (Italy’s ultra-popular comedy duo Salvo Ficarra and Valentino Picone), whose hilariously, charmingly amateurish, nightly stage productions stir Pirandello out of a creative blockage (complete with visions of characters waiting to come to life) and help him to arrive at the idea for what will ultimately become his masterpiece,

The film will be introduced by Pieranna Garavaso, Professor Emerita of Philosophy, University of Minnesota Morris. In addition, Prof. Garavaso will present the life and works of Luigi Pirandello and discuss the play Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore (Six Characters in Search of an Author) at The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis / St. Paul on February 3 and February 24, 2024. Don’t miss the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the life and works of Luigi Pirandello before attending the screening. Read more and register here.

Winner of the Donatello Award for Best Producer, Best Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and the Nastro D’Argento winner for Best Director in 2023.

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6:00 PM: Nata Per Te (Born For You)

Q&A with Director Fabio Mollo, connecting live from Italy | U.S. Premiere | Director: Fabio Mollo | Fiction | 113 min | 2023

Nata per te is the true story of Luca Trapanese and Alba, a man and a newborn baby who desperately need each other, even though the world around them is not yet ready to see them together.

The court of Naples is looking for a family willing to adopt Alba, a girl with Down Syndrome who has been left behind on the day of her birth. Luca is single with a compelling desire to be a father. How many "traditional" families will have to say no, and how much will Luca have to fight before he can be considered a suitable option?

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8:45 PM: Adagio

U.S. Premiere | Director: Stefano Sollima | Fiction | 127 min | 2023

Rome is governed by chaos, corruption and cynicism, choked by torrid heat, devastated by fires and the darkness of blackouts. Manuel, a sixteen year old boy, is trying to survive as well as he can, while taking care of his elderly father, an ex con. When Manuel too gets involved in the city’s corrupted system, his only chance will be to turn for protection to two former criminals, old acquaintances of his father.

With Toni Servillo (La grande bellezza, È stata la mano di Dio) as Daytona, Pierfrancesco Favino (Il traditore, Nostalgia) as Cammello, and Valerio Mastandrea (Perfetti sconosciuti, Figli) as Polniuman, Adagio stars some of the most renowned and acclaimed Italian actors. The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and IFF is proud to host its U.S. Premiere.

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March 2, 2024:

11:00 AM: C’eravamo Tanto Amati (We All Loved Each Other So Much)

Q&A with Prof. Lorenzo Fabbri, Department of French and Italian, University of Minnesota | Director: Ettore Scola | Fiction | 124 min | 1974

Gianni, Nicola and Antonio become close friends in 1944 while fighting the Nazis during the Italian Resistance. After the end of the war, full of illusions, they settle down. Over a period of three decades, the movie tells the story of these three idealists and of the woman who, at some point, loves them all, chronicling joys, successes, failures, love, betrayals and, ultimately, the inevitable disillusionment of life.

Inexplicably, the film did not gain much fame at the time of its release in the U.S. and still hasn’t to this day. IFF 2024 is thrilled to offer its audience an opportunity to discover this gem and fall in love with it on its 50th anniversary.

Presented in collaboration with the Cineteca Nazionale - Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.

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2:00 PM: Amanda

Q&A with Director Carolina Cavalli, connecting live from Italy | Minnesote Premiere | Director: Carolina Cavalli | Fiction | 93 min | 2022

Born into an upper-class family with a doting mother who foots the bill for her indolent lifestyle, 24-year-old combative Amanda (emerging talent Benedetta Porcaroli) longs for connection but has never had a friend of her own. One day she discovers a long-lost childhood bond, an isolated young girl just like her, and tries absolutely everything to convince her that they are still best friends. Amanda, a playful and provocative first feature from writer-director Carolina Cavalli, received 3 nominations for the Italian David di Donatello for Best Directorial Debut, Best Leading Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. It was also nominated for 2 Nastri d’Argento, in the best directorial debut and best leading actress. The film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival and globally at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, in 2022. Amanda made no. 15 in The Guardian’s 50 Best films of 2023 list.

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5:00 PM: Grazie Ragazzi (Thank You Guys)

Minnesote Premiere | Director: Riccardo Milani | Fiction | 117 min | 2023

In the face of a lack of job opportunities, Antonio, a passionate but often unemployed actor, accepts a job as a teacher of a theater workshop in a penitentiary institution. Initially hesitant, he discovers talent within the unlikely company of inmates. Day by day, the group yields to Antonio's determination, discovering the liberating power of art and its ability to provide purpose and hope beyond waiting.

From writer-director Riccardo Milani (Come un gatto in tangenziale, Corro da te), the intention at the heart of Grazie Ragazzi is explicitly social: to convey the tremendous transformative and therapeutic power of art for those who are marginalized.

Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Antonio Albanese) at the Nastri d’Argento in 2023.

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7:45 PM: Io Capitano

Minnesote Premiere | Director: Matteo Garrone | Fiction | 121 min | 2023

From writer-director Matteo Garrone comes an epic odyssey from West Africa to Italy told through the eyes and experiences of two Senegalese teenage cousins living in Dakar who yearn for a brighter future in Europe. But in between Senegal and Italy lies a tense and treacherous journey through myriad checkpoints, across the scorching Saharan desert, inside dank North African prisons, and atop the choppy waters of the Mediterranean Sea, where thousands before them have died packed inside seafaring vessels barely fit for passage. Matteo Garrone was initially wary of telling an immigrant’s story; this was neither his world nor his immediate experience. It became crucial to not simply re-tell these stories, but to have those who lived them, and lived to tell them, on set with him, whether in front of the camera or by his side during the production.

Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023 — for newcomer Seydou Sarr, making his feature-film debut - Io Capitano is officially nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at this year’s 96th Academy Awards, and was recently nominated for two European Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director.

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March 3, 2024:

11:00 AM: 8 1/2

Introduction by Artistic Director Tommaso Cammarano | Director: Federico Fellini | Fiction | 138 min | 1963

Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi (Fellini’s alter ego), the most stylish and cool director you will ever meet, whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life, as he struggles against creative block and helplessly juggles the women in his life - including Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, and Claudia Cardinale. Overwhelmed and at a loss, Guido retreats into his thoughts, which often focus on his loves, both past and present, and frequently wander into fantastical territory. As he tries to sort out his many entanglements, Anselmi finds his production becoming more and more autobiographical.

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2:15 PM: Mia

Q&A with Director Ivano De Matteo, connecting live from Italy | U.S. Premiere | Director: Ivano De Matteo | Fiction | 108 min | 2023

Mia, a vibrant teenager, enjoys a joyful life surrounded by loving parents and friends. The name Mia, translating to "mine" in Italian, takes on a poignant twist when her world shatters upon encountering a manipulative young man. In an attempt to break free from the toxic relationship, Mia embarks on a challenging journey, with the unwavering support of her parents. Little does she know, the path to liberation is a lot harder than anticipated. Actor Edoardo Leo, playing the father, delivers one of his best performances that earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the prestigious Nastri d’Argento award in 2023.

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5:15 PM: Il Sol Dell’avvenire (A Brighter Tomorrow)

Q&A with Artistic Director Tommaso Cammarano | Minnesote Premiere | Director: Nanni Moretti | Fiction | 95 min | 2023

Giovanni is a renowned Italian director, who dreams to make a film adaptation from John Cheever's The Swimmer. Life is not working too well for him though, his marriage is in crisis, his co-producer is on the verge of bankruptcy and the film industry is changing rapidly. Always on the edge, Giovanni will have to rethink his way of doing things if he wants to lead his little world towards a brighter tomorrow.

Il Sol dell’avvenire, was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It received seven nominations for Nastri D’Argento, and won one for Best Supporting Actress.

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7:45 PM: Settembre (September)

Minnesote Premiere | Director: Giulia Louise Steigerwalt | Fiction | 108 min | 2022

A thread runs through the lives of the three characters in Settembre — a quest for human connection, happiness, and the allure of new beginnings, transcending age and life paths. Giulia Louise Steigerwalt, both screenwriter and actress, makes a brilliant directorial debut with this finely crafted comedy/drama, where authenticity resonates in every character. Settembre won two David Di Donatello Awards for Best New Director and Best Lead Actress, along with four nominations for Nastri D’Argento, winning one for Best New Director in 2022.

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Dates: February 29, 2024 - March 3, 2024

Location:

The Main Cinema,
115 SE Main Street,
Minneapolis, MN 55414.

Ticket Prices:

General Admission: $14.00
MSP FILM Members: $12.00
ICC Members: $12.00
Students: $5.00 (Box office and Promo Code Only)

All-Access Pass:
Includes Opening Night film and Party

General Price: $120.00
FS / ICC Members: $100.00
Purchase Pass

Click here for more information.