The fourth edition of the festival Visuali Italiane - New Italian Cinema in Romania will cover a selection of eleven feature films and four short films in a bid to offer local audiences "an authentic and fresh perspective on contemporary Italian cinema."

The festival will feature screenings in six cities: Bucharest (March 3-9, Cinema Muzeul Țăranului), Cluj-Napoca (March 13-16, Cinema Victoria), Craiova (March 21-23, Cinema Patria), Timișoara (March 27-30, Cinema Studio), Iași (March 29-30, Cinema Ateneu), and a dedicated section at ESTE Film Festival in Sibiu (May 28 - June 1).

The festival will open in Bucharest, on March 3, with a screening of Maura Delpero's Vermiglio, the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and Italy's official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards. The film delivers a moving story of survival and human connections in an alpine village in 1944, impressive with its authentic landscapes and profound characters.

Another highlight of the festival is the local premiere of Luca Guadagnino's Queer, an adaptation of the cult novel by William S. Burroughs, starring Daniel Craig. The film explores themes of desire, loneliness, and the complexity of human relationships. The festival will also screen the film that brought Guadagnino international recognition: Io sono l'amore.

The festival's selection, curated by Eddie Bertozzi, brings together both established filmmakers and new voices, offering a cinematic journey through different corners of Italy: from the vibrant streets of Naples in Claudio Giovannesi's Hey Joe to the melancholic beauty of Siena in Giovanni Tortorici's Diciannove, the enigmatic atmosphere of Sicily in Antonio Piazza & Fabio Grassadonia's Iddu and into the historical military fortresses of Friuli and Trentino in Gianni Amelio's Campo di Battaglia.

"This year, we are once again offering an updated version of the successful recipe from previous editions, with both established and emerging directors, an increasing presence of original female voices, an exploration of documentary film, and a diverse array of short films. We are committed to presenting Romanian audiences with the best films from recent Italian productions, revealing the modernity of our cinema through contemporary stories and a creative and never banal cinematic language," Laura Napolitano, the director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Bucharest, explained.

Tickets for the event are available at Eventbook.

(Photo: still from Luca Guadagnino's Queer, courtesy of the organizers)

simona@romania-insider.com