IFF25 Diamonds

Award-winning filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek returns with this Italian box office hit, a joyous and touching tribute to the costume designers and seamstresses whose great craftsmanship bring to life the magic of cinema. Inspired by Özpetek’s personal experience frequenting film and theatre tailoring shops in the 1980s, Diamonds features a dazzling all-star ensemble cast led by Luisa Ranieri (Parthenope IFF24) and Jasmine Trinca (Maria Montessori IFF24), with costumes by designer Stefano Ciammitti. In the present day, Özpetek decides to make a film about women and so gathers his favourite actresses for a lunch and script read-through, which leads to his imagination transporting them into another era. In 1970s Rome, sisters Alberta and Gabriella run a prestigious fashion house, where the noise of the sewing machines fills a workplace populated by women. When an important order arrives from an Oscar-winning costume designer client, challenges arise as the team of talented dressmakers try to fulfill the requirements. Outside and within the atelier, passions, anxieties, and unbreakable bonds intertwine as the line between reality and fiction begins to blur.

IFF25 Somebody to Love

After the global success of 2016’s Perfect Strangers, writer/director Paolo Genovese has struck gold again with Somebody to Love, an hilarious, all-star romantic comedy that reveals the innermost thoughts and uncertainties of an Italian couple on their awkward first date in Rome. Recently separated philosophy professor and father-of-one Piero (Edoardo Leo) has arrived for dinner at the home of Lara (Pilar Fogliati), a talented furniture restorer, who has recently ended her relationship with a married man. As the two begin to get to know each other, they must also navigate their competing inner voices: the thoughts - whether instinctive, romantic, logical or impulsive - that guide their emotions and decisions. As the evening evolves, their hidden desires and quirks gradually come to light, along with their hearts’ unmistakeable desire to find a perfect match. Skilfully blending charm and comedic expertise, Somebody to Love has swept over 2.5 million moviegoers off their feet to become Italy’s #1 box office hit of 2025. This is fresh, uproarious and crowd-pleasing entertainment at its best.

IFF25 La Grazia

The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is delighted to present Oscar-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino’s highly anticipated new drama LA GRAZIA (“Grace”), direct from its world premiere at Venice. The iconic Toni Servillo stars as Mariano De Santis, President of the Italian Republic (with no connection to any real-life presidents; he is entirely a product of Sorrentino’s imagination). A widower and a Catholic, De Santis has a daughter, Dorotea (Anna Ferzetti), who is a legal scholar like himself. As his term draws to a close, amid seemingly uneventful days, two final duties arise: deciding on two delicate petitions for a presidential pardon. These are true moral dilemmas which become tangled, in ways that seem impossible to unravel, with his private life. Driven by doubt, De Santis will have to decide… and so with a deep sense of responsibility, that is exactly what this remarkable Italian President will do. When announcing LA GRAZIA’s prestigious selection as the Venice Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala, artistic director Alberto Barbera remarked “Sorrentino’s return comes with a film destined to leave its mark for its great originality and powerful relevance to the present time.” Australian audiences will have the pleasure of discovering this for themselves, within days of its international debut.

IFF25 The Mountain Bride - Vermiglio

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, The Mountain Bride – Vermiglio is an atmospheric, visually breathtaking portrait of a family in the final year of WWII. Written and directed by Maura Delpero, drawing from her own family’s past and collective memory, this rich, intimate drama follows a series of consequential events in a village caught between tradition and modernity. 1944. In Vermiglio, a small mountain village high up in the Italian Alps, war looms as a distant but constant threat. When reserved soldier Pietro (Giuseppe De Domenico) arrives in the village, hiding out after deserting the army, he disrupts the dynamics of the family of local teacher schoolteacher Cesare Graziadei (Tommaso Ragno, also in The Illusion and Sicilian Letters). Pietro and Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), Cesare’s eldest daughter, are instantly drawn to each other leading to an unexpected fate. Over the course of four seasons, secrets swirl beneath the surface and as the world emerges from the tragedy of war, the family finds their lives transformed. Please note, not screening in Perth.

IFF25 Napoli - New York

In 1949, the Italian city of Naples lies in ruins after the devastation of WWII. Amidst the poverty and rubble-strewn streets of the city, two children, Carmine and Celestina, try to survive as best they can by helping each other. Like so many others, they dream of going to America. After a chance encounter with a steamship’s chef, one night, they secretly stow themselves away on a ship bound for New York to reach Celestina’s sister, who emigrated to America several years earlier. On board, Carmine and Celestina join the many Italian emigrants seeking a new, better life in America. On the run from the Italian purser (Pierfrancesco Favino), the pair eventually arrive in an unknown metropolis, which, after several misadventures, they eventually learn to call home. Based on an original screenplay by Federico Fellini and Tullio Pinelli from the 1980s, Napoli – New York is a compelling and hopeful coming-of-age story about the duality of dreams and disillusionment, the search for identity and the pursuit of a better life.

IFF25 Signorinella: Little Miss

Narrated by Italian-Australian actress Greta Scacchi, this fascinating documentary written, directed and produced by the creators of LYGON ST - Si Parla Italiano, Angelo Pricolo, Jason McFadyen and Shannon Swan, Signorinella: Little Miss celebrates the tenacity and spirit of Italian women who helped shape the Italian-Australian community. In the wake of WWII, a new wave of Italian immigrants arrived in Australia, seeking to rebuild their lives far from the devastation they left behind. Among them were women who embodied resilience, determination and a sense of adventure. From raising families while running small businesses, to transforming Australia’s food, fashion, media and cultural landscape, these women did more than adapt - they thrived. Capturing a legacy that still echoes through the community today and featuring interviews with a range of influential women including Allegra Spender, Carla Zampatti and Tina Arena, they share their stories of hardship, resilience and triumph. Through personal narratives and historical insights, this documentary is a tribute to the power of determination, creativity, and the enduring spirit of women who dared to dream.

IFF25 The Illusion

Starring popular comic duo Salvatore Ficarra & Valentino Picone (Strangeness IFF23) and festival favourite Toni Servillo (also in La Grazia and Sicilian Letters), The Illusion is a fun re-imagining of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s 1860 campaign that unified Italy. 1860. Young idealists from all regions of Italy join Giuseppe Garibaldi (Tommaso Ragno) in Quarto, near Genoa, for the adventure of the “Mille.” With his faithful group of officers, including the loyal Colonel Vincenzo Giordano Orsini (Servillo), Garibaldi recruits volunteers for the expedition. Among the many soldiers recruited are two (fictitious) Sicilians, peasant farmer Domenico Tricò (Ficarra), and noble yet penniless trickster Rosario Spitale (Picone). Landing at Marsala, Sicily, the “Mille” begins fighting with Bourbon army, whose superior numbers are immediately evident, and it seems impossible to breach enemy lines. But when he is almost forced to retreat, Garibaldi devises an ingenious plan. Directed and co-written by Roberto Andò (Strangeness IFF23) this entertaining tale blends comedy and drama to illuminate a piece of history, exploring the paradoxes of Sicilian identity.

IFF25 Looking for Alibrandi

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, all-star Australian classic coming-of-age drama Looking For Alibrandi is presented in a brand new 4K restoration. Critically acclaimed, director Kate Woods' adaptation of Melina Marchetta's coming-of-age novel won the AFI Award for Best Film in 2000, and resonated with audiences for its authentic portrayal of growing up in Australia and the second generation migrant experience. In her final year of school at an exclusive private school, intelligent and outspoken Australian-Italian teenager Josephine ‘Josie’ Alibrandi (Pia Miranda) faces a car-crash of social problems. She is seventeen, has the dreaded HSC coming up, her snobbish classmates mock her Sicilian heritage, her relationship with her single mother (Greta Scacchi) is on the rocks, her father is absent, and the boy of her dreams seems completely out of reach. When her life is turned upside down, fortunately her Nonna (Elena Cotta) is always by her side, as Josie navigates her complicated family life, friendships, self-identity and learning to belong.

IFF25 When Mum Is Away... With the In-laws

After the great success of the first two films in the series, 10 Days Without Mamma (IFF19) and When Mum is Away...with the Family (IFF21), the adventures of the Rovelli family continue in this Italian box office hit comedy directed by Alessandro Genovesi. Fabio De Luigi and Valentina Lodovini return as Carlo and Giulia Rovelli and this time, the family is heading to sunny Puglia, where their eldest daughter, eighteen-year-old Camilla, is moving to attend university with her boyfriend, Antonio Paradiso. However, Carlo is not ready to let go of his firstborn—especially if it means having her live with a young man he does not trust at all. Once the Rovellis arrive at the farmhouse of the Paradiso family, Carlo does not miss an opportunity to be the world’s most unwelcome guest. Amid theft, lies, culture clashes, romantic escapades, and a series of hilarious misunderstandings, only time will tell whether the Rovellis and the Paradisos will remain at odds or become one big family.

IFF25 Gianni Versace - Emperor of Dreams

Cleverly intertwining past and present, fiction and documentary, with this biopic director/co-writer Mimmo Calopresti tells the story of the growth and success of Gianni Versace, a fashion designer of the future. Beginning with his youth in Reggio Calabria in the 1960s, spent observing his seamstress mother and studying the classics, he took his first steps in the world of fashion. While evading the judgment of his fellow townspeople about his never-hidden and proudly lived sexuality, he immersed himself in the remnants of ancient Greece in search of identity and eventually fled to Milan to unleash his genius. In 1970s Milan, the Versace brand began to rise, with forays into theater, music, cinema, and television. Then in the United States, Versace collaborated with great photographers like Mapplethorpe, forever changing the relationship between photography and fashion. Collecting a series of interviews with his friends, colleagues and models, including Carla Bruni, as well as archival images of fashion shows and interviews, Gianni Versace – Emperor of Dreams reconstructs the world, life and creativity of Versace.

IFF25 A Lizard in a Woman's Skin

A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin is a psychological giallo thriller directed by Lucio Fulci, a filmmaker later known for pushing the boundaries of the horror genre. Set in swinging London, the film follows Carol Hammond (Florinda Bolkan), the wealthy daughter of a prominent politician, who is plagued by disturbing, erotic dreams about her free‑spirited neighbor Julia (Anita Strindberg). When Julia is found brutally murdered in the same fashion as Carol had dreamt, Carol becomes the prime suspect. As the investigation deepens, she is drawn into a hallucinatory spiral of paranoia, deception, and hidden desires. The film is widely praised for its dreamlike atmosphere and surreal imagery, blending psychedelic visuals with Hitchcockian suspense. Fulci crafts a disorienting narrative where the line between reality and dream blurs, leaving audiences unsure of what to believe. The film is also notable for its groundbreaking special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, who would go on to create the effects for E.T. A powerful Ennio Morricone score adds a hypnotic layer to the story, shifting from lush orchestration to unsettling dissonance, perfectly mirroring Carol’s mental unravelling. Though less graphic than Fulci’s later horror work, A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin remains one of his most acclaimed films, celebrated as a hallucinatory giallo classic and a high point in 1970s Italian thrillers.

IFF25 All the Colours of the Dark

A surreal and stylish giallo directed by Sergio Martino, blending psychological thriller, occult horror, and lysergic imagery. The film stars Edwige Fenech as Jane Harrison, a young woman living in London who is plagued by horrific nightmares following a traumatic car accident and a miscarriage. Her mental state deteriorates as she becomes convinced, she is being stalked by a mysterious, dark-eyed man with a knife. Desperate for relief, Jane attends a bizarre black magic ritual introduced to her by her neighbour Mary (Marina Malfatti). Instead of alleviating her fears, the initiation entangles her in a sinister cult whose members blur the lines between dream and reality. As Jane’s visions intensify, she can no longer distinguish between hallucinations, occult manipulation, and actual threats, leading to a suspenseful and shocking climax. The result is a hallucinatory experience, enhanced by Bruno Nicolai’s haunting score, which shifts from delicate melodies to dissonant, unsettling tones. Unlike more straightforward murder mysteries, All the Colours of the Dark leans heavily into surrealism and paranoia, making it one of the more unique gialli of the 1970s. It combines the genre’s familiar elements, gloved killers, eroticism, and suspense with occult themes, creating an atmosphere that is both nightmarish and hypnotic. Today, it is regarded as a cult classic and one of Sergio Martino’s finest works.

IFF25 Battleground

Written and directed by Gianni Amelio (Lord of the Ants IFF22), loosely based on the 2018 novel The Challenge by Carlo Patriarca, Battleground is a powerful story of sacrifice, nationalism, courage and compassion during wartime. As World War I draws to a close, two medical officers, childhood friends, work in the same military hospital where every day the most seriously wounded arrive from the front, many with self-inflicted wounds, doing anything to avoid returning to combat. With opposing views about their duties, Dr. Stefano Zorzi (Gabriel Montesi), is a patriotic, duty-bound medic, while Dr. Giulio Farradi (Alessandro Borghi, is more tolerant. Friends with them both since medical school but hampered from continuing her studies, nurse Anna (Federica Rosellini) volunteers alongside them with the Red Cross. But something strange begins to happen, with many patients mysteriously growing worse. As the great ‘Spanish’ flu epidemic arrives in 1918 and the outbreak contaminates the civilian population, soon love, politics and science become dangerously confused as another battle begins.

IFF25 Blood & Black Lace

Set upon audiences in 1964 Mario Bava’s Blood & Black Lace is a landmark film in the evolution of the giallo genre and a major influence on later slasher cinema. Set in a glamorous Italian fashion house, the story begins when a model is brutally murdered on the premises. Soon, other models and staff members find themselves stalked by a mysterious masked killer. The murders appear connected to a diary that contains scandalous secrets, with suspicion falling on various members of the haute couture circle as the body count rises. What sets Blood & Black Lace apart is Bava’s masterful use of colour, lighting, and camera movement, with a visual style that is often described as painterly. Unlike traditional whodunits of the time, the violence here is shockingly graphic for its era, with elements that would become staples of giallo and later American slasher films. The film also features a haunting score by Carlo Rustichelli, blending jazz and suspenseful melodies that amplify the tension. While it was controversial at the time for its stylised violence, Blood & Black Lace is now celebrated as a pioneering work of Italian horror cinema, laying the groundwork for directors like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. Its combination of elegance, mystery, and brutality continues to influence horror aesthetics, making it one of the genre’s most enduring classics.

IFF25 Deep Red

A uniquely Italian blend of mystery, psychological thriller, and graphic horror, and widely regarded as one of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento’s greatest films, Deep Red screens in a stunning new 4K restoration, celebrating 50 years of terror. Deep Red is seminal work in the giallo genre, a film that not only influenced later slasher films but also remains a cornerstone of Italian horror cinema, blending mystery, artistry, and psychological terror in unforgettable fashion. The film follows Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, best known for his work in Blow Up), a British jazz pianist living in Rome, who becomes entangled in a brutal murder mystery after witnessing the killing of a psychic, Helga Ulmann (Macha Méril), who had earlier sensed the presence of a dangerous killer during a public demonstration. Partnering with investigative journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), Marcus delves into a labyrinth of clues, eerie paintings, and cryptic childhood traumas, gradually uncovering a truth more shocking than he imagined. Renowned for stylish cinematography and elaborate set pieces, Deep Red pushes the boundaries of the giallo formula. Argento crafts tension through innovative camera work, striking use of colour, and intricate murder sequences, transforming violence into a form of nightmarish art. The film is also notable for its iconic progressive rock score by Goblin, which lends an unsettling, pulsating energy to the atmosphere. Its meticulously orchestrated visuals, such as the famous doll sequence and blood-red imagery, cemented Argento’s reputation as a master of stylish horror.