by FilmInk Staff
THE 2026 ST. ALi ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL FULL PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
BELOVED ITALIAN SATIRIST ‘PIF’ TO OPEN THE FESTIVAL
ACTOR EDOARDO LEO ATTENDING WITH TWO OF HIS NEW FILMS!
Palace is thrilled to announce the full line up of the 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival, the largest festival of Italian cinema in the world. Showcasing an incredible selection of new Italian cinema celebrating the country’s language stories and culture, the festival includes works from contemporary Italian auteurs, documentaries, comedies, a retrospective focus on iconic Italian actor Anna Magnani, two very special guests and the premiere of a new Australian Italian co production. The festival is screening nationally at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova, Luna Cinemas and Cinema Nova from 16 September.
Festival Director Elysia Zeccola said: “Australia’s favourite love affair with Italy is back for another exciting year with a remarkable thirty three films in the line up. We’re thrilled to be welcoming two huge names in Italian cinema to our shores and can’t wait to share with them the passion our audiences have for this annual celebration of Italian culture.”
Lachlan Ward, CEO of ST. ALi, Festival Naming Rights Partner said, “We’re proud to partner with the Italian Film Festival for the 7th year and celebrate the beauty and rich heritage of Italian cinema here in Australia. As a coffee company with Italian-heritage, ST. ALi has always believed coffee and Italian culture go hand in hand, and we look forward to sharing ST. ALi’s speciality coffee with festival goers this spring.”
Opening the 2026 festival is the Palermo-set box office hit romantic comedy from Pierfrancesco ‘Pif’ Diliberto HOLY CANNOLI (Che Dio perdona a tutti), a story of love, faith and delicious pastries. We follow Arturo, a successful real estate agent (played by Pif) with a passion for desserts who falls for a charming, devoutly Catholic pastry chef, Flora.
The festival is excited to welcome Pif, the writer, director and star of HOLY CANNOLI, who will be visiting Australia at official openings in Sydney and Melbourne, plus introducing selected sessions of the film in both cities.
The festival’s second very special guest is acclaimed Italian actor Edoardo Leo who will be in Sydney and Melbourne for the Australian Premiere screenings of his films SEPARATE BEDS (2 cuori e 2 capanne) and the drama FOR YOU (Per te).
In Italian box office smash SEPARATE BEDS, Leo stars as Valerio, a strict school Principal who leads a conventional yet disciplined life who crosses paths with the free spirited, independent and unconventional Alessandra.
Based on a true story, FOR YOU (Per te) is a heartfelt drama that follows Paolo (Leo) and his eleven-year-old son Mattia (played by brilliant newcomer Javier Francesco Leoni) who must cope with an unexpected diagnosis as Paolo begins to lose fragments of his memory.
This year’s Festival Centrepiece is the highly awarded SWEETHEART (Gioia mia). Claiming Best Actress and Best New Director at the 2026 David di Donatello Awards amongst other accolades, this enchanting drama follows a a young boy, Nico, who is sent to spend a summer in Sicily with his elderly aunt, played by beloved Italian actor Aurora Quattrocchi. A reluctant summer transforms into something much more intriguing when Nico discovers his aunt’s mysterious Sicilian house holds secrets and, perhaps, ancient spirits lurking within its walls.
Closing the Festival and direct from this year’s Venice International Film Festival is THE ECHO CHAMBER, directed by Andrea Pallaoro. Based on Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay, this love story where the boundaries between presence and absence, care and dependence and desire and control blur until they dissolve stars Alicia Vikander, Luca Marinelli (The Eight Mountains) and Susan Sarandon.
The 2026 Festival Special Presentation is the bittersweet THREE GOODBYES (Tre ciotole), based on the bestselling novel by Michela Murgia. When a couple (played by acclaimed actors Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano) split up after what seems like a trivial argument, their lives dramatically change in this emotional, ultimately life-affirming tale from award winning director Isabel Coixet.
The festival is delighted to present the World Premiere of the Australian/Italian co-produced documentary SAND ROADS in Sydney. The film follows three young Australian men as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a 50,000km quad bike journey across three continents to break a Guiness World Record while fundraising to combat global poverty. Now 16 years later, intimate road footage, a rediscovered diary and contemporary reflections form a heartfelt film about friendship and loss.
NEW ITALIAN CINEMA
Screenwriter Ludovica Rampoldi’s directorial debut A BRIEF AFFAIR (Breve storia d’amore) features an all-star cast including Pilar Fogliati (Somebody to Love), Adriano Giannini (Family Matters), and Valeria Golino (Fuori). The film explores the complexity of relationships, love and passion through the unexpected twists and turns of a fling turned love story.
Biographical drama ALMOST GRAZIA (Quasi Grazia) offers a profound reflection on the relationship between women and literature, depicting the life of Nobel Prize winning Sardinian author Grazia Deledda. The only Italian woman to receive this honour, 100 years ago this year, the film follows three pivotal moments in Deledda’s life.
Starring Jasmine Trinca as a prosecutor investigating a mysterious event, ILLUSION (Illusione) from multi award-winning director Francesca Archibugi dives into a web of power, desire and lies in the European underworld. Trinca also stars in THE EYES OF OTHERS (Gli occhi degli altri) with Filippo Timi in a film which takes its inspiration from sensational real events which took place amongst the elite in 1960s Italy.
Psychological thriller and legal drama THE LESSON (La lezione) stars Matilda De Angelis and Stefano Accorsi and follows a young lawyer from Trieste who is re-engaged by a former client to file a lawsuit against his workplace, while secrets from her past start to emerge.
Exploring motherhood, love and freedom, BELOVED (Amata), starring Miriam Leone, Stefano Accorsi and Tecla Insolia, follows the lives of two women connected by invisible threads. In the intense chamber drama ANDREA’S ISLAND (L’isola di Andrea), a legal battle is waged by two parents over the custody of their only child, from award-winning director Antonio Capuano, starring Teresa Saponangelo and Vinicio Marchion.
WORDS LEFT UNSPOKEN (Le cose non dette) from Gabriele Muccino, based on the novel Siracusa by Delia Ephron, stars festival favourite Stefano Accorsi and Miriam Leone. Two couples from Rome meet for a transformative trip to Tangiers, Morocco, where tensions slowly emerge between them.
Directed by and starring Rocco Papaleo, THE GREATER GOOD (Il bene comune) is both a story of resilience and a love letter to the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The story follows a hiking group whose search for an ancient pine tree in Pollino National Park becomes a transformative journey for each of them.
MALAVIA is an affecting coming-of-age drama that follows a thirteen-year-old boy living in the forgotten outskirts of Naples, who dreams of becoming a famous rapper, but whose life unravels when faced with the realities of the music industry; and in biting comedic drama SHOW ME THE TRUTH (Fuori la verità), featuring an all-star ensemble, the line between entertainment and voyeurism is blurred as a family decide to participate in a game show.
REAL STORIES
The documentary NINO. 18 DAYS (Nino. 18 Giorni ) explores the life and career of Neapolitan singer/actor superstar Nino D’Angelo, known for his famous blonde bob in the 1980s. Directed by Nino’s son Toni D’Angelo, it portrays an artist who transformed Neapolitan music into universal poetry while remaining faithful to his roots.
Anissa Bonnefont’s remarkable documentary, LA SCALA: THE FORCE OF DESTINY (La forza del destino), follows 900 artists, staff and technicians at Milan’s legendary Teatro alla Scala over four months as they race to stage a new production of Verdi’s The Force of Destiny.
Blending reality and fiction, farce and tragedy, I WANT HER DEAD (Il quieto vivere) is based on petty and absurd true events from director Gianluca Matarrese’s hometown, a remote Calabrian village. The emotionally charged tale portrays a family on the verge of implosion, veering into black comedy.
Two not to be missed documentaries celebrate Italian Fashion on Film. The star-studded ARMANI AND THE BIRTH OF ITALIAN FASHION traces the rise of Italy’s style empires through the story of the legendary families that have been ruling it for decades. It features the final on-screen interview of Giorgio Armani and interviews with Tom Ford, Sharon Stone, Helen Mirren and Samuel L. Jackson amongst others; award-winning director. Giuseppe Tornatore’s, BRUNELLO, THE GRACIOUS VISIONARY chronicles the life and philosophy of fashion luminary Brunello Cucinelli, from his humble origins in rural Perugia to the heights of success and a billion-dollar fashion empire.
ANNA MAGNANI – THE UNTOLD STORY (Anna) is an intriguing biopic of the legendary Italian actor who won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1956 for The Rose Tattoo. Set during the night of her win, Magnani’s victory celebration is only brief, as explored by writer, director and star Monica Guerritore in her magnificent portrayal. The festival is delighted to screen two of Magnani’s most famous films; BELLISSIMA, Luchino Visconti’s searing portrait of postwar Italy’s celebrity obsession, where a mother’s desperate pursuit of film stardom exacts a heartbreaking personal toll and MAMMA ROMA, in which Magnani portrays a mother fighting for her son’s future in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s gritty, once-banned neorealist classic that remains an unsparing depiction of postwar Italian survival.
COMEDY, ITALIAN STYLE
The comedy TWIN STARS (Stella gemella) portrays a couple facing a relationship crisis who suddenly learn they are expecting twins. But not a regular set of twins, an extremely rare case in which each twin has a different father! This delightful new comedy from Luca Lucini features stellar supporting performances from Margherita Buy and Laura Morante. The Italian box office hit from Riccardo Milani LIFE IS LIFE (La vita va così) is inspired by a true and timely story. The intertwined lives of a community in the picturesque landscapes of Sardinia are facing the prospect of a luxury resort development on their unspoiled coastline, but one elderly citizen isn’t going down without a fight. LOVE DIVINE (Il Dio dell’amore) is an ensemble romantic comedy about modern love and relationships in Rome starring Vinicio Marchioni, Isabella Ragonese, Vanessa Scalera, and Francesco Colella.
FOR LA FAMIGLIA
Intergenerational dramatic comedy CLASSMATES (Domani interrogo), based on Gaja Cenciarelli’s novel, stars Anna Ferzetti as a devoted English teacher assigned to the toughest class in a Rome high school. The film highlights the power of education, and the essential nature of respect and community in today’s classrooms. 2007-set coming-of-age drama A YEAR OF SCHOOL (Un anno di scuola) is adapted from the 1929 novella by Giani Stuparich and follows a 17-year-old Swedish girl who moves to Trieste and becomes the only girl in an all-male class, where she must navigate the challenges of adolescence. INCANTO is a fantasy family adventure about the importance of imagination and kindness, as a young girl escapes her controlling guardian and discovers a magical circus, where she begins to find her voice. Directed by and starring Fabio De Luigi, delightful romantic comedy A BEAUTIFUL DAY (Un bel giorno) sees a devoted single father persuaded by his four daughters to open his heart to love once more.
The 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Canberra 16 September – 15 October, Palace Electric Cinema
Adelaide 16 September – 13 October, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Sydney 17 September – 14 October, Palace Moore Park, Palace Norton St, Palace Central
Byron Bay and Ballina 17 September – 14 October, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
Melbourne 18 September – 15 October, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Cinema Nova
Ballarat 18 September – 15 October, Palace Regent Cinemas
Brisbane 24 September – 18 October, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
Perth 24 September – 18 October, Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema
For information and updates, please visit italianfilmfestival.com.au and sign up or follow us on Facebook @ItalianFF and Instagram @ItalianFilmFest for all the latest news.
