L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano C i n e m a I t a l i a n S t y l e h a s b e e n one of the most popular and suc- cessful festivals t o h i t t h e S e a t t l e c u l t u r a l scene since it was launched 17 years ago. This year's fes- tival will continue that tradi- tion – but with a new twist. For the first time, Cine- ma Italian Style will be presented by the Seattle Ital- ian community, led by the S e a t t l e P e r u g i a S i s t e r C i t y A s s o c i a t i o n and I l P u n t o S e a t t l e , w i t h t h e support of numerous other nonprofit organizations and business partners from the Italian and Italian American c o m m u n i t i e s . " W e ' r e s o pleased we can continue to showcase this historic film festival in Seattle, creating a space where beauty, passion, and storytelling meet," said E l i s a b e t t a V a l e n t i n i , Honorary Consul of Italy in Seattle. The festival, which runs N o v . 1 2 - 1 6 a t t h e S I F F Uptown Theater, presents 11 outstanding films that offer a w i n d o w i n t o t h e c r e a t i v e , political, and social land- scape of modern-day Italy. Special guests from Italy will be on hand to introduce their films, enabling audiences to get a first-hand look at some o f t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g n e w work in contemporary Ital- ian cinema. Massimo Carne- los, Consul General of Italy in San Francisco, will attend the opening night party. T h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g f o r everyone at this year's festi- v a l – d r a m a s , c o m e d i e s , romance, even a wild west- e r n . T h e N o v e m b e r t i m e frame gives festival organiz- ers access to the latest films that played in September at t h e V e n i c e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Film Festival or were recent- ly released for Oscar consid- eration. O n e o f t h e m o s t h i g h l y a n t i c i p a t e d f i l m s i s Famiglia, Italy's official sub- mission for the 2026 Acade- my Awards. The film might be difficult to watch at times, but its unflinching look at political extremism will like- ly resonate with audience m e m b e r s . D i r e c t o r Francesco Costabile is sched- uled to attend the screening, offering his personal insights into the conceptualization and making of this powerful drama. Another guest scheduled to arrive from Italy is film- m a k e r F e d e r i c o F e r r o n e , who will discuss his film, La C o s a M i g l i o r e ( T h e B e s t Reward). The film follows the life of Mattia, a teenager from a small town in Italy who is tormented by guilt over the death of his broth- er. The youth drops out of s c h o o l t o s t a r t w o r k a t a local factory and then con- v e r t s t o I s l a m . T h e f i l m probes the intense personal motivations that cause Mat- tia to so dramatically alter his life. In keeping with past film festivals, this year's line-up includes a film classic: the 1967 film, Ti Ho Sposato per Allegria (I Married You for Joy). The film explores t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n Pietro, a young lawyer, and Giuliana, a free spirit whom he met at an artist's party, played by the incomparable Monica Vitti. Despite their differences, things seem to be going well for the couple until Pietro's mother and sister show up for a visit. Set against the framework of the social mores and conven- tions of the 1960s, the film explores their relationship and family dynamics. Other films selected for s c r e e n i n g a r e L e A s s a g - g i a t r i c i ( T h e T a s t e r s ) , a gripping historical drama inspired by the true story of Margot Wolk, who was one of Hitler's food tasters; La G r a z i a b y O s c a r w i n n e r Paolo Sorrentino, who pre- sents an intriguing portrait of a fictional politician; and Napoli-New York, a tale of two kids from Naples who travel to New York to escape t h e g r i n d i n g p o v e r t y o f Italy's early postwar years. This year comedic selec- tions include the charming film La Vita da Grandi (Sib- lings), Follemente (Madly), and an offbeat western enti- tled Testa o Croce? (Heads or Tails?). Rounding out the slate are Paternal Leave and C o m e T i M u o v i S b a g l i ( D a m n e d I f Y o u D o , Damned If You Don't). Since it began, Cinema Italian Style had been orga- nized by the Seattle Interna- tional Film Festival, but this year the management struc- ture underwent a change. Two nonprofit organizations – the Seattle Perugia Sister C i t y A s s o c i a t i o n a n d I l Punto Seattle – assumed the r o l e o f l e a d o r g a n i z e r s , pledging to provide festival f u n d i n g a n d o v e r s i g h t . When the groups reached out to the local Italian and Italian American communi- ties for financial and in-kind support, the results were i m m e d i a t e . D o n a t i o n s poured in and far exceeded expectations, nearly dou- bling fundraising goals in just a few months. "The response from past s p o n s o r s a n d i n d i v i d u a l members of the community t o h e l p f u n d t h e u p f r o n t c o s t s o f t h e f e s t i v a l w a s overwhelming," said Mark Ippolito, president, Seattle Perugia Sister City Associa- tion. "The high level of sup- port we received signals to us just how vital it is to rep- resent contemporary Italian cinema, language, art, and culture in our community." T h a n k s t o t h e r o b u s t fundraising efforts, all ticket purchases for Cinema Ital- ian Style will directly go to support the festival's future. Members of the Cinema I t a l i a n S t y l e O r g a n i z i n g Committee include Seattle Perugia Sister City Associa- tion, Il Punto Seattle, Uni- v e r s i t y o f W a s h i n g t o n Department of French and Italian Studies, Italian Cul- tural Institute in San Fran- cisco, and SIFF. Additional support was provided by Cinecittà, Tut- t a b e l l a , B a r o l o , C a f f e Umbria, Cinque Terre, Per- c o r s o I t a l i a n o , D a n t e Alighieri Seattle, Bumble- m e e , D u e C u c i n a , E l i a n a Caputo Real Estate, Enrica Zeggio Real Estate, Esquin Wines, Gemateg, La Spiga, Nutty Squirrel Gelato, Pasta Casalinga, Serena Corp, and The Civita Institute. The fes- tival airline sponsor is Alas- ka Airlines. RITA CIPALLA Seattle Italian community rallies to ensure future of Cinema Italian Style Napoli-New York tells the tale of two Neapolitan kids who embark on a ship to New York to try to escape Italy's early postwar poverty (Photo: SPSCA) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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