Line-up and dates announced for Cinema Made in Italy

Cinecittà, the French Institute in London and The Italian Cultural Institute announce the full line-up of films for the 14th edition of CINEMA MADE IN ITALY, London’s favourite film festival highlighting the best Italian cinema from the past year, which returns to Ciné Lumière in South Kensington from 20 to 24 March 2024.

CINEMA MADE IN ITALY features ten new releases and one classic film, all curated by Adrian Wootton OBE. Audiences will have the chance to catch the cutting edge of Italian cinema, with several films having their UK premiere as part of the festival, as well as enjoying a classic of Italian cinema and taking part in Q&As with filmmakers.

“Showcasing the very best in contemporary Italian filmmaking from established and emerging talent this year’s line-up of Cinema Made In Italy is a diverse, exciting and distinctive selection of films. I am delighted to curate and host the 14th edition of this unique event and to be presenting this fantastic group of films and their makers to UK audiences.”

Adrian Wootton OBE, CEO Film London & British Film Commission, said: “Comedy, Drama, Noir, Animation: all the colours of Italian Cinema are reflected in the programme of Cinema Made In Italy 2024. This year’s edition is going to be a real surprise package, with 50% of the festival’s films directed by women, 30% being first features and, last but not least, the most talked about film of the year in Italy, There Is Still Tomorrow. We wish our London audience another memorable cinematic experience!”

Nicola Maccanico, CEO Cinecittà, said: Highlights at this year’s festival include: Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, starring Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte, Alba Rohrwacher, and Isabella Rossellini, which receives its London Premiere having garnered glowing reviews following its World Premiere at Cannes. Also receiving their UK Premieres are Edoardo De Angelis’ Comandante, which opened the Venice Film Festival, and Paola Cortellesi’s There Is Still Tomorrow, a smash hit in Italy where it was the highest-grossing film of the year, beating global box office juggernaut Barbie.

Also featured are Laura Luchetti’s Beautiful Summer, starring Deva Cassel and based on Cesare Pavese’s novel; Tommaso Santambrogio’s debut feature Oceans Are The Real Continents, a timely film telling three separate stories set in present-day Cuba; Simone Massi’s Nowhere which won the Lizzani Award in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival; Edoardo Gabbriellini’s coming-of-age drama Holiday, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival; Ginevra Elkann’s I Told You So, a star-studded intertwining narrative set during a heatwave in Rome starring Valeria Golino, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Greta Scacchi, and Danny Huston; and Stefano Sollima’s crime drama Adagio, which played In Competition at the Venice Film Festival, starring Pierfrancesco Favino and Tony Servillo.

This year’s family film is Chicken For Linda! which won the Cristal Award, the top prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, from Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach. The annual screening of a classic from Italian cinema is a fully restored 4K version of Luchino Visconti’s 1951 Bellissima.

The full programme line-up is listed below and synopses for each film can be found at the bottom of this release. Filmmaker availability for interviews will be confirmed in due course.

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COMANDANTE* by Edoardo De Angelis 

20 March at 7.30pm (Opening Film)

Followed by a Q&A with director Edoardo De Angelis

OCEANS ARE THE REAL CONTINENTS (LOS OCÉANOS SON LOS VERDADEROS CONTINENTES)* by Tommaso Santambrogio 

21 March at 6.00pm

Followed by a Q&A with director Tommaso Santambrogio

NOWHERE (INVELLE)* by Simone Massi 

21 March at 8.40pm

BEAUTIFUL SUMMER (LA BELLA ESTATE)* by Laura Luchetti 

22 March at 6.00pm

Followed by a Q&A with director Laura Luchetti

I TOLD YOU SO (TE L’AVEVO DETTO)* by Ginevra Elkann  

22 March at 8.35pm

Followed by a Q&A with director Ginevra Elkann

ADAGIO* by Stefano Sollima 

23 March at 5.30pm

THERE IS STILL TOMORROW (C’E’ ANCORA DOMANI)* by Paola Cortellesi 

23 March at 8.30pm

Followed by a Q&A with director Paola Cortellesi

HOLIDAY* by Edoardo Gabbriellini 

24 March at 4.35pm

Followed by a Q&A with director Edoardo Gabbriellini

LA CHIMERA by Alice Rohrwacher 

24 March at 7.00pm (Closing Film)

ANIMATION (CINEFAMILY) 

CHICKEN FOR LINDA! (LINDA VEUT DU POULET!)* by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach

23 March at 1.30pm

CLASSIC 

BELLISSIMA by Luchino Visconti – restored 4K version

24 March at 2.00pm

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* Indicates UK premiere