Italian Film Festival 2024 at QCinema

From November 12 to 18, 2024, Italian films are set to make their comeback in Philippine Cinema with the return of the Italian Film Festival in Manila and in Cebu City led by Festival Director Mr. Antonio Termenini. The promotion of Italian Cinema in Manila is part of the extensive annual program of Cineforum Robert Bresson to promote the richness and diversity of Italian Cinema across Asia. This also includes collaborations with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and other initiatives like the Asian Film Festival and Beyond the Mirror (Oltre lo specchio) Film Festival.

The Italian Film Festival is locally organized by the Philippine-Italian Association (PIA) under the auspices and financial support of the Embassy of Italy in Manila and in collaboration with QCinema. The QCinema, over the past 18 months, has been at the forefront of fostering international collaborations, uniting countries with different cultures through films. The Last Shadow at the First Light, for instance, is a pioneering project led by QCinema that is co-produced by the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, and Japan. The collaboration with QCinema, therefore, is a fundamental aspect of this festival’s organization and in attracting audiences.

The Italian Film Festival will take place in multiple venues across Metro Manila, with screenings scheduled in Pasig City, Makati City, and Quezon City. The venues include Shangri-la Red Carpet, Power Plant Cinema, and Gateway Cinema. It will feature the following six contemporary films, carefully selected to reflect the current landscape of Italian cinema:

La Chimera (2023)

Director: Alice Rohrwache

Cast: Josh O'Connor, Carol Duartem Alba Rohrwacherm Isabella Rossellini, Vincenzo Nemolato, Lou Roy-Lecollinet

Josh O’Connor plays Arthur, an English archaeologist who has just been released from Italian prison. It doesn’t take him long to fall back with his old crew, who take advantage of Arthur’s supernatural gift for finding ancient tombs, which they loot for Etruscan artifacts to sell. Director Rohrwacher crafts a very unusual depiction of capitalist conflict: a rowdy tale of chaos borne of people fighting over commodities ripped from their historical contexts, and made little more than trinkets to be bought and sold.

Diabolik Chi sei? | Diabolik: Who are You? (2023)

Directors: Antonio Manetti, Antonio Minetti

Cast: Giacomo Gianniotti, Miriam Leone, Valerio Mastandrea, Monica Bellucci, Pier Giorgio Bellocchio, Chiara Martegiani

Based on the popular comic series created by Angela and Luciana Giussani. The titular master thief (Giacomo Gianniotti) has been captured by a ruthless criminal syndicate, along with his constant pursuer, Inspector Ginko (Valerio Mastandrea). Their partners, Eva Kant and Altea di Vallenberg (Miriam Leone and Monica Belluci), form an uneasy alliance in order to save the men they love.

Io Capitano (2023)

Director: Matteo Garrone

Cast: Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawadogo, Hichem Yacoubi, Doodou Sagna Khady Sy

Winner of the Silver Lion. Cousins Seydou and Moussa (Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall) leave their hometown of Dakar, Senegal in hopes of finding a better future in Italy. This journey takes them through several countries, where they encounter all manner of corruption. It has them crossing the dangerous Sahara Desert. And they will face the broad apathy of Europeans over the plight of refugees.

Palazzina Laf (2023)

Director: Michele Riondino

Cast: Michele Riondino, Elio Germano, Vanessa Scalera, Anna Ferruzzo, Domenico Fortunato, Giovanni D'Addario

Based on a true story. Set in 1997, the film follows cleaner Caterina Lamanna (played by director Michele RIondino), who works in the massive Ilva Steelworks in Taranto. He is forced by his superior to spy on his co-workers, reporting on any talk that might prove detrimental to the company and its bottom line. What he finds along the way is a systematic attempt by the company to psychologically crush its employees, the revelation of which would set an important precedent in Italian labor laws.

Quell’estate con Irène | My Summer with Irène (2024)

Director: Carlo Sironi

Cast: Noée Abita, Maria Camilla Brandenburg, Claudio Segaluscio, Gabriele Rollo, Beatrice Puccilli, Anna di Luzio

Shy Clara (Maria Camilla Brandenburg) meets the outgoing Irène (Noée Abita) at a summer camp organized by the hospital where they are both being treated. The two seventeen-year-olds form a quick bond, in spite of the differences in their personality. The two impulsively decide to go on a trip together to Sicily, putting off their return to their families, and instead going on a journey to discover who they really are, and what they want out of this tragically short life.

Rapito | Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara (2023)

Director: Marco Bellocchio

Cast: Enea Sala, Leonardo Maltese, Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Andrea Gherpelli

Recounts the true story of Edgardo Montara, a Jewish child from Bologna who in 1858 was abducted by the Catholic Church due to having been secretly baptized by his family’s Christian maid back when he was an infant. Montara was taken to Rome, where he would end up being raised and tutored personally by Pope Pius IX, who sought to preserve the primacy of the Church and its laws. This choice would prove to be controversial, causing an uproar that reverberated throughout Italy and Europe.

The esteemed directors of the Diabolik saga, Antonio and Marco Manetti, are likely to attend as guests of honor, adding a distinguished presence to the event. If confirmed, audiences and filmmakers will be given a unique opportunity to engage with the internationally acclaimed Italian directors.

The festival will include special screenings, Q&A sessions, and interactive discussions, creating a rich, immersive experience for attendees. Through the collaboration between Cineforum Robert Bresson, the Asian Film Festival, the MAECI, the Embassy of Italy, PIA, and QCinema, the event will engage the Italian community in Manila as well as the Filipino cinema enthusiasts, sparking meaningful dialogue around contemporary Italian cinema while pr

omoting cross-cultural exchange between Italy and the Philippines.

All screenings except for La Chimera and Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara will be will be free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Here is the schedule of the Italian Film Festival 2024.

November 12, 2024

5:55 PM La Chimera (Gateway Mall, Cinema 16)

November 13, 2024

12:00 PM Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara (Gateway Mall, Cinema 16)

November 14, 2024

11:00 AM Diabolik: Who are You? (Shangri-La Plaza, Cinema 4)

12:30 AM My Summer with Irène (Gateway Mall, Cinema 16)

6:45 PM La Chimera (Shangri-La Plaza, Cinema 4)

9:20 PM Io Capitano (Shangri-La Plaza, Cinema 4)

November 15, 2024

12:00 PM Palazzina Laf (Powerplant Mall, Cinema 6)

2:00 PM Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara (Powerplant Mall, Cinema 6)