Welcome to the ninth edition of Italy on Screen Today - New York Film & TV Series Fest, conceived and directed by Loredana Commonara. A selection of the best contemporary Italian productions, featuring cinema and TV series premières, made possible with the support of the Ministry of Culture - General Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisual, and with the collaboration of the Consulate General of Italy in New York, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò - New York University, in partnership with Italy for Movies and the New York Film Academy.
For the opening event, we are renewing a distinctive tradition of the festival: the promotion and support of the Italian film nominated for the Oscar. Vermiglio by Maura Delpero will represent Italy in the International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards. In collaboration with the American distributor "Sideshow", the screening will take place on November 25th at the prestigious MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, followed by a Q&A moderated by the curatorial assistant at MoMA Francisco Valente, with the director in attendance. Among the guests, there will be a special delegation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the Golden Globe voters.
The program will continue for two unmissable days. On December 5th, the International Première of Leopardi. The Poet of the Infinity, the RAI event series that tells the life and story of the great poet Giacomo Leopardi, directed by Sergio Rubini. This costume drama offers new generations an unprecedented yet historically accurate portrait of the poet. The two episodes will be screened, introduced by the lead actor Leonardo Maltese, who will receive the Wind of Europe International Award. On December 6th, the event will open with the New York première of La Vita Accanto, the latest work by Marco Tullio Giordana, followed by the cinematic debut of Ruggero Cappuccio, joined by Nadia Baldi: the screen adaptation of Shakespea Re di Napoli. The event will continue with a conversation with lead actor Jacopo Rampini, moderated by Professor Stefano Albertini.
There will also be two Special Events. At St. Patrick's Cathedral auditorium, in partnership with the Consulate General of Italy in New York, the film Francesca Cabrini by Alejandro Monteverde will be screened. The film commemorates Santa Francesca Saverio Cabrini, the first woman to lead an overseas mission, embodying the power of women and sensitivity toward migrants. Over the course of 34 years, she founded 67 institutions, including hospitals, schools, and orphanages, creating an empire of hope, education, and healthcare that continues today, in the United States and across all continents. The lead actress Cristiana Dell'Anna will meet with the audience after the screening. On December 10th, in collaboration with Italian Heritage & Culture Committee of New York, we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first Westerner to set foot on the island we now know as Manhattan, commemorated today with one of the main bridges that connects Brooklyn to Staten Island. Luigi Giovanni Cappellini, President of the Giovanni da Verrazzano Foundation and owner of the Verrazzano Castle in Tuscany, will present his documentary Giovanni da Verrazzano, Navigator and Gentleman.
An exclusive program featuring American and New York premières. Renowned authors and new voices, films that have sparked critical debate, and TV series: Italy on Screen Today New York is the first and only festival to present Italian television series in the Big Apple. In addition, there is a section dedicated to short films, including fiction, animation, and documentaries. We also renew our collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, showcasing the best student works, acclaimed at major international festivals.
Many other films will enrich the schedule: Trust by Daniele Luchetti, A world apart by Riccardo Milani, Adagio by Stefano Sollima, The order of time by Liliana Cavani, A hundred sundays by Antonio Albanese, One day at a time by Alessandro Aronadio, Massimo Troisi: somebody down there likes me by Mario Martone, Laf by Michele Riondino, Mia by Ivano De Matteo, Posso entrare? An Ode to Naples by Trudie Styler, In the mirror by Roberta Torre. Among the TV series, we are presenting The sleuth by Rolando Ravello and Marconi: the man who connected the world by Lucio Pellegrini.
This year again, Italy On Screen Today New York is partnering with Italy for Movies (www.italyformovies.com), the portal for Italian locations and funding incentives managed by Cinecittà, in collaboration with Italian Film Commissions, and coordinated by Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo (Ministry of Culture). The portal, available as an app from digital stores, provides a range of useful information on locations and funding opportunities available for productions wanting to shoot in Italy, in addition to industry news, interesting information and itinerary suggestions for cinema lovers who want to visit the locations featured on screen.