The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis - St. Paul, in partnership with MSP Film Society, is thrilled to present the 16th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis - St. Paul (IFF), taking place at The Main Cinema from February 27 through March 2, 2025. This year's lineup, while still being finalized, promises an extraordinary celebration of Italian cinema, featuring some of the best contemporary films alongside timeless classics.

Don't wait to secure your spot! Festival passes are now available, granting access to all festival screenings and events, including to special advance showings of the highly anticipated film Vermiglio by Maura Delpero, which will start in late January or early February ahead of the festival. Please note that access to these advance showings will be limited, so be sure to secure your pass early to guarantee your spot.

Schedule of Events:

Il postino (The Postman)

Based on true events, "Il Postino" tells the story of Mario (Massimo Troisi), a shy postman who forms a transformative bond with the exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret). Set on a small island off the Italian coast in 1953, Mario's job is to deliver Neruda's mail, which is inundated with letters from women. Fascinated by the poet's charm and allure, Mario befriends Neruda in hopes of learning his secret. Through their relationship, Neruda not only helps Mario win the heart of Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), the town's most beautiful woman, but also teaches him to see his life and village through a more poetic lens.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Screenwriting, "Il Postino" is a timeless masterpiece that brought Massimo Troisi, an icon of Italian cinema, international stardom. His portrayal of a simple, humble, innocent postman, capturing the essence of a man's transformative journey, resonated deeply with audiences worldwide, making "Il Postino" a standout in Italian and world cinema.

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Sei fratelli (Family Matters)

In "Sei Fratelli", six half-siblings - Marco, Guido, Leo, Luisa, Gaelle, and Mattia - come together for the first time following the death of their charismatic but troubled father, Manfredi Alicante. Though they share the same paternal figure, their mothers are different, and they've lived in separate worlds. Manfredi, a man of contradictions-adventurer, charmer, and failed businessman-leaves behind a legacy that binds them together in unexpected ways.

The film explores their attempt at reconciling their pasts in the house that once belonged to their father in Bordeaux, where, for a fleeting moment, they dream of becoming a united family. As they struggle with unresolved tensions and identities that define them, they must grapple with the illusion of unity that their father's death brings. Their journey reflects the complexities of modern families, where bonds are tested, rivalries persist, and love alternates with silence.

With a unique visual style that blends moments of comedy and drama, "Sei Fratelli" captures a raw, unpolished sense of reality. The film is an exploration of family dynamics, the roles we inherit, and the inevitability of returning to our individual selves. The "dreamy" cast is composed by some of the most talented Italian actors presently in the industry.

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Familia

Based on an autobiographical account, this moving story centers on Gigi, a young man struggling to escape the shadow of violence that defined his childhood and threatens to doom his family's future. In early 2000s Rome, Gigi lives with his brother and mother (played by Babara Ronchi, one of the most renowned of a new generation of actresses and winner of the David di Donatello for Best Actress in 2022) far from his violently abusive father, who has been imprisoned for nearly ten years. Tormented by feelings of pain and anger, Gigi finds refuge in a local fascist gang where his rage is accepted and encouraged. When his father reappears after being released from prison, the cycle of abuse, fear and anger resumes, exposing how Gigi and his family have been betrayed by the system supposedly meant to protect them. Gigi must navigate a difficult path forward, doing his best to protect his loved ones while avoiding a destiny in which he follows in his father's footsteps. Through strong acting and well-crafted cinematography and sound design, this film captures the oppressive tension and conflicting emotions existing within a fractured family, and conveys a sense of empathy and compassion for the characters. There are no easy solutions for Gigi, and he must decide what kind of man he wants to be. "Familia" premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Best Actor prize for Francesco Gheghi's performance of Gigi.

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Gloria!

In the year 1800, at the convent of Sant'Ignazio just outside Venice, a young scullery maid named Teresa harbors musical sensibilities well beyond her years - By at least two centuries. While the orphaned choir girls and orchestra of Sant'Ignazio fill its walls with baroque and neoclassical music of the time, Teresa's heart is filled with melodies reminiscent of the pop and jazz music of today. Though presciently gifted, she is confined to cleaning, and the other girls snub her as a scullery maid. Perlina, the orchestra's despotic and cruel conductor, makes matters worse in his ineffectual frenzy to compose new music for Pope Pius VII's impending visit to Sant'Ignazio.

When a mysterious gift arrives at the convent - a newfangled musical contraption called a pianoforte - it is shut away in a storage room, deemed unfit for holy music, until Teresa stumbles upon it one fateful night. Finally given the chance to properly express her musical gifts, Teresa picks up the piano with astonishing speed. But her experimentations attract the attention of four other girls, who discover her secret. Excited at the possibility of escaping their dreary lives at the orphanage, the girls agree to share the piano with Teresa and secretly create their own compositions for the Pope's visit, in defiance of Perlina. However, Teresa's bold musical stylings cause friction among her newfound collaborators, who have never heard anything of the kind before. As baroque and modern styles clash, the girls must find a way through newfound friendships and rivalries to overcome the obstacles and injustices they face, in a world that continually denies women agency. Delightfully anachronistic, "Gloria!" is an imaginative love letter to the passion, perseverance and creativity of history's forgotten female composers.

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