The latest works by internationally renowned directors Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Youth) and Paolo Genovese (Perfect Strangers) are among the six contemporary Italian films lined up at the return of the Italian Film Festival this June 26-July 1. 2026 at the Shangri-La Plaza's Red Carpet Cinemas in Manadluyong.
Presented by the Embassy of Italy in Manila in collaboration with Elephant Pictures, Cineforum Robert Bresson, the Philippine-Italian Association (PIA), and Shangri-La Plaza's Red Carpet Cinemas, the festival continues its mission of promoting Italian culture and strengthening ties between Italy and the Philippines through the universal language of cinema.
Here is this year's selection of films in detail.
Le città di pianura | The Last One for the Road (2025)
Director: Francesco Sossai
Cast: Filippo Scotti, Sergio Romano, Pierpaolo Capovilla, Roberto Citran, Andrea Pennacchi
Two broke, bar-hopping fiftysomethings meet a shy and aimless architecture student. Together, the three men embark on a chaotic road trip through the Venetian plains where bad advice, hangovers and unexpected friendship shake up the young man’s future plans for life and love.
Elisa (2025)
Director: Leonardo Di Costanzo
Cast: Barbara Ronchi, Roschdy Zem, Diego Ribon, Valeria Golino
Thirty-five-year-old Elisa has been in prison for ten years, convicted for having killed her older sister and burnt her body for no apparent reason. She claims to remember little to nothing about her crime, as if she’d built up a wall of silence between her and her past. But when she decides to meet criminologist Alaoui and take part in his research, embarking on a tense and inexorable exchange, her memories begin to take shape and, amidst the pain of fully accepting her culpability, Elisa finds she might be able to take the first step towards potential redemption.
FolleMente | Madly (2025)
Director: Paolo Genovese
Cast: Edoardo Leo, Pilar Fogliati, Emanuela Fanelli, Maria Chiara Giannetta, Claudia Pandolfi, Vittoria Puccini, Marco Giallini, Maurizio Lastrico, Rocco Papaleo, Claudio Santamaria
A romantic comedy that goes beyond appearances, diving into the minds of the two main characters, Piero and Lara, and revealing their most hidden thoughts and the inner battles that we all face.
Gioia mia | Sweetheart (2025)
Director: Margherita Spampinato
Cast: Marco Fiore, Aurora Quattrocchi, Martina Ziami, Camille Dugay
A young boy and an elderly woman are forced to spend a summer together. It's a clash of modernity and tradition, speed and slowness. A summer filled with fears and discoveries, but also adventures, milestones, and losses – a summer after which nothing will ever be the same again.
La grazia | The Pardon (2025)
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti
Mariano De Santis is the President of the Italian Republic. No connection to any real-life presidents; he is entirely a product of the author’s imagination. A widower and a Catholic, he has a daughter, Dorotea, a legal scholar like himself. As his term draws to a close, amid uneventful days, two final duties arise: deciding on two delicate petitions for a presidential pardon. True moral dilemmas, which become tangled with his private life, in ways that seem impossible to unravel. Driven by doubt, he will have to decide. And, with a deep sense of responsibility, that is exactly what this remarkable Italian President will do.
La vita da grandi | Siblings (2025)
Director: Greta Scarano
Cast: Matilda De Angelis, Yuri Tuci, Maria Amelia Monti, Paolo Hendel, Adriano Pantaleo, Christian Ginepro
Irene is called back to Rimini, her hometown, to care for her autistic brother Omar. Determined to shape his future, Omar persuades Irene to help him become independent and chase his dream of fame as a rap singer.
Here is the schedule of screenings. Admission to all screenings is for free.
June 26, 2026
6:00 PM La grazia
June 27, 2026
6:00 PM FolleMente
June 28, 2026
6:00 PM Elisa
June 29, 2026
6:00 PM Gioia mia
June 30, 2026
6:00 PM La vita da grandi
July 1, 2026
6:00 PM Le città di pianura
For many years, the Italian Film Festival has served as an important platform for cultural exchange, introducing Filipino audiences to the richness and diversity of contemporary Italian filmmaking while creating opportunities for dialogue between artists, educators, students, and cultural institutions.
The festival is part of the broader efforts to promote Italian cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people connections between Italy and the Philippines.
Festival Director Antonio Termenini continues to oversee the artistic direction of the festival and the selection of films presented to Philippine audiences. A film producer and cultural organizer, Termenini is the founder of Cineforum Robert Bresson, a Rome-based cultural association dedicated to promoting cinema and cultural exchange. He is also the creator of the internationally recognized Asian Film Festival in Italy and Managing Director of Elephant Pictures, a film production and distribution company. Through these initiatives, he has played an important role in promoting both Italian and Asian cinema and fostering cultural dialogue between Europe and Asia.
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