'A real dive into Italian culture': Italian film festival returns to Cork 

The N.I.C.E. Italian Film Festival returns to Cork from April 4-6, marking its fourth consecutive year.

This festival - N.I.C.E stands for New Italian Cinema Events - will celebrate contemporary cinema from that country with a vibrant showcase of films. The event is organised by the Embassy of Italy in Ireland in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture.

Film enthusiasts will have the opportunity to explore a diverse selection of the latest Italian movies, highlighting the richness of its culture and fostering a sense of community among film-lovers in Ireland.

Marco Gioacchini, the director of the Italian Institute of Culture, says film festivals are meant to showcase contemporary life in the country, and Italy is deeply committed to describing its own reality, both positive and difficult aspects.

“The 2025 selection is a mix of contemporary themes and historical. A real dive into Italian culture.”

The Cork leg of the festival, which also includes screenings in Dublin, Limerick, and Galway, will take place at the Arc Cinema.

Gioacchini expresses gratitude for the Arc’s continued , noting they were a great er during the inaugural Italian Film Festival, and is pleased to collaborate with them again this year.

The festival is also ed by the Cork International Film Festival and will kick off with the Irish premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s film Parthenope, which will be released in Irish cinemas later this year.

Sorrentino, who won an Oscar for The Great Beauty in 2013, presents a coming-of-age story centred around a young woman, Parthenope. The film explores her life and romantic experiences along the Amalfi Coast, including her home town of Naples.

One of the film’s stars, Daniele Rienzo, will attend the premiere and participate in a Q&A session after the screening. Representatives from the Italian Embassy and Gioacchini are expected to also attend.

Gioacchini describes Romantic Girls (Romantiche) as a joyful and entertaining comedy featuring Pilar Fogliati, who plays four characters, each representing a different type of young woman.

They are: Eugenia Praticò, an aspiring screenwriter who moved from Sicily to Rome in search of success; Uvetta Budini di Raso, a young and naive aristocrat finding her place in the world; Michela Trezza, a young woman about to get married struggling with the comeback of her childhood ex-boyfriend; Tazia De Tiberis, a young woman from Parioli, a high-end district of Rome, who is determined to have control on her partner’s life.”

Fogliati was nominated for several awards for her portrayal of the quartet of characters.

Gioacchini tells us that Diamonds (Diamanti) is the latest film by the beloved Italian-Turkish director Ferzan Özpetek and includes a fantastic cast of more than ten leading Italian female actors.

A major box office success in Italy, it tells the story of a director who gathers his favourite actresses to create a new film set in 1970s Rome, focusing on the world of prestigious tailoring.

As the silk gowns are designed and the diamonds are hand-stitched onto the fabric, the stories of the women involved are woven into the narrative.

On Sunday, the festival will host a free screening of The Children’s Train (Il treno dei Bambini), which Gioacchini describes as “an enchanting film about childhood after World War II.”.

Directed by Cristina Comencini, it is adapted from a novel by Italian author Viola Ardone and set in 1946.

In the months after the war, many families struggled with poverty, leading to the introduction of a program aimed at alleviating their burdens. The initiative, known as Treni della Felicità or Happiness Trains, was created to transport children to areas of Italy that were less affected by the war.

The purpose of this initiative was not to have the children remain forever, but rather to provide their families back home with a valuable opportunity to grasp the harsh realities of life in post-war Italy.

The film centres on eight-year-old boy Amerigo and explores the impact of his separation from his mother.

The Illusion (L’abbaglio) (right) is a historical drama set in the tumultuous 1860s in Sicily, a period marked by Italy’s struggle for unification.

Directed by Roberto Andò, it delves into the lives of an unlikely group of soldiers brought together under extraordinary circumstances.

As they navigate the complexities of loyalty, ambition, and the harsh realities of war, their collaboration becomes a microcosm of the broader societal changes occurring in Italy.

Family (Familia) by sco Costabile is set in the early 2000s and follows a mother and her sons who have lived in relative peace for ten years, free from their abusive father. When he returns to reclaim his family, the sons face significant decisions about their future.

The film, which has won several awards, addresses the issue of family abuse, which Gioacchini notes is particularly relevant in contemporary Italy.

Gioacchini hopes the festival will further the relationship between the people of Cork and of the Italian community living in the county.

“The Italian community in Cork is numerous and well-established. Italian language at UCC, where the Italian Department is our main partner in Cork, is appreciated by Irish and International students. That is why we decided to inaugurate the Italian Film Festival in Cork for the first edition in 2022. I hope this can be a bridge between the two cultures, and a lot of Irish friends will be happy to attend our screenings.”

The N.I.C.E. Italian Film Festival runs from April 4-6th at the Arc Cinema. https://www.nicefestival.org/