The 2024 Italian Film Festival starts in Australia on September 18 with a top-class selection of new Italian cinema, special presentations and classic anniversary screenings curated by Palace Cinemas.
The festival takes place in the major capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra – as well as Byron Bay and Ballina on the NSW North Coast from mid-September to late October.
Opening night honours go to Gloria! (pictured at top), the directorial debut of Italian singer, songwriter and actor Margherita Vicario. Gloria! tells the story of a maid at a Venetian refuge whose hidden musical talent helps inspire an uprising. It’s “a foot-stomping fun ride not to be missed,” the program notes proclaim.
Actor/singer Margherita Vicario to visit Australia
In a coup for organisers, Gloria! director Margherita Vicario is the 2024 Italian Film Festival’s special guest. She’ll introduce her film at the opening night galas in Sydney (Palace Norton Street, September 18) and Melbourne (The Astor Theatre, September 20). She will also hold Q&A sessions after the film screenings at Palace Moore Park in Sydney on September 19 and Palace Cinema Como in Melbourne on September 21.
Vicario has released two solo albums of music, the second of which, Bingo, reached No. 21 on the Italian album charts in 2021. One of the singles from that album was Piña colada (featuring Izi). It’s catchy. Let’s give it a spin 🙂
25 years of the Italian Film Festival
The New Italian Cinema section comprises 21 films; the anniversary screenings pay homage to Bread and Tulips and The Godfather Part II, and there are two documentaries: An Ode To Naples, and an ode to coffee entitled The Rise Of Espresso.
Bread and Tulips (Pane e Tulipani) has a special place in local history – it had the honour of opening Australia’s first ever Italian Film Festival in the year 2000. Festival Director Elysia Zeccola has fond memories of those times. “I still recall racing to the airport 25 years ago to retrieve the 35mm print of the festival’s opening night film, Silvio Sodini’s enchanting Bread and Tulips,” the Palace Cinemas executive writes in the IFF24 program. “From humble beginnings, this festival is now the largest celebration of Italian cinema in the world outside of Italy.”
Fifty years ago, meanwhile, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II, was winning six Oscar awards, including best picture. It will be great to see it again on the big screen.
2024 Italian Film Festival dates and locations
SYDNEY: 18 September – 16 October, Palace Moore Park, Palace Norton St, Palace Central, Chauvel Cinema
CANBERRA: 19 September – 16 October, Palace Electric Cinema
BRISBANE: 19 September – 16 October, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
MELBOURNE: 20 September – 17 October, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Cinema Nova
BYRON BAY & BALLINA: 26 September – 16 October, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
ADELAIDE: 2 – 22 October, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
PERTH: 3 – 23 October, Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema
For more information, visit the Italian Film Festival website, where you can download a pdf of the program. M5R
