Italian Film Festival reveals all films from its 20th edition

One of the most traditional events in the Brazilian cultural calendar, the Italian Film Festival reaches its 20th edition on October 29, 2025, with a menu of 24 films, 12 of which are new and 12 are classic works.

Celebrating two decades of promoting and disseminating Italian cinema in the country, the festival is organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of São Paulo (Italcam), in partnership with the Italian Embassy and the Ministry of Culture.

In the 2025 edition, the event will pay tribute to the great masters of Italian cinema - both icons of the past and contemporary filmmakers who keep the country's artistic tradition alive.

In the new film section, audiences will have the chance to see productions that represent the latest in Italian cinema. Highlights include "Le Assaggiatrici" (Hitler's Tasters), by Silvio Soldini, which tells the story of women forced to taste Hitler's food, and "Napoli-New York," by Gabriele Salvatores, based on an original story by Fellini and Tullio Pinelli, which follows the journey of two children who illegally migrate to the United States after World War II.

The selection also includes Michele Placido's "Eterno Visionario," an intimate portrait of Luigi Pirandello; Roberto Andò's "L'Abbaglio" (The Illusion), about the military tactics of Giuseppe Garibaldi; and Claudio Giovannesi's "Hey Joe," starring James Franco, about the unexpected encounter between an American veteran and his unknown son.

Humor gains space in the comedies "La Vita da Grandi" (Brothers), by Greta Scarano, and "Ho Visto Un Re" (I Saw a King), by Giorgia Farina. Meanwhile, a nostalgic tone marks the road movie "Le Città di Pianura" (The Last Round), by Francesco Sossai, shown at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Other notable titles include "Gioia Mia" (Summer in Sicily), which won an award in Locarno, and "Diamanti", by Ferzan Özpetek, which mixes reality and fiction in Rome in the 1970s. Completing the session are the documentary "Roberto Rossellini, Più di una Vita" (More than a Life) and the drama "Amata" (Beloved), by Elisa Amoruso, which discusses love, freedom and motherhood.

Celebrating the legacy of great Italian filmmakers, the retrospective session showcases fundamental works in cinema history. Among them are the neorealist classic "Ladri di Biciclette" (Bicycle Thieves) by Vittorio De Sica and "Paisà" by Roberto Rossellini, which depicts the liberation of Italy during World War II.

The festival also screens titles such as "Prima della Rivoluzione" by Bernardo Bertolucci; "L'Amore in Città" (Love in the City), a collective film with names such as Antonioni and Fellini; and "Speriamo che sia Femmina" (I Hope She's a Woman) by Mario Monicelli.

Other classics featured in the exhibition include "Delitto d'Amore" (Crime of Love), by Luigi Comencini; "L'Assassino", by Elio Petri; "Enrico IV", by Marco Bellocchio; and "Uomini Contro" (The Will of a General), by Francesco Rosi.

The selection is completed with "I Ragazzi di Via Panisperna", by Gianni Amelio; "Sopralluoghi in Palestine", by Pier Paolo Pasolini; and "La Cena" (The Dinner), by Ettore Scola, which highlights a powerful metaphor about life and human coexistence.