Cinema Italiano Festival

Overview

Carlo Di Palma, Federico Fellini, Matteo Garrone — Italy has a rich cinematic history that is being celebrated with the fourth Cinema Italiano Festival. Combining the best of contemporary Italian cinema with classic masterpieces, Aucklanders will be able to take a tour of Italy between 17–30 September at the Bridgeway Cinema. For those out of town, the festival is playing further afield at Matakana Cinemas from September 6–14 and Waiheke Cinema from January 9–15.

From arresting dramas to offbeat comedies and cherished classics, there will be something for all tastes. Regardless of style, each film celebrates the Italian language, culture and the idiosyncrasies of Vivere all'Italiana. This year, the festival celebrates the theme of 'famiglia'. While Italy is synonymous to many with the values of large family gatherings, this year the film selection is infused with the myriad manifestations of how family shapes everything in the nation.

There are 20 films playing as part of this year's festival. A Casa Tutti Bene sees a large family trapped on an island as they gather for a 50th wedding anniversary. Based on the best-selling novel, The Girl in the Fog follows the sudden disappearance of a teenage girl. Award-winning crime thriller Dogman is a based-on-fact tale of a gentle dog lover driven to take a stand against a local bully. My Big Gay Italian Wedding, based on the off-Broadway play, is a merry comedy of matrimony, as newly engaged Antonio brings his fiancé Paolo to his hometown to meet his headstrong parents. See the full lineup and screening times here.