Tips For The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival 2024

Another film festival, another smorgasbord of great stories, this time with an Italian flavour. With limited time available it’s always hard to decide what to see, so here are my top tips for this year.

This year boasts another bevy of dramas, comedies, documentaries, historical pieces and retrospectives. My tips for this year are:

As usual my number one top tip is, check out the program early and buy your tickets straight away as the most popular films always sell out fast.
THE WAR OF THE NONNI. I think we all need a good laugh these days. This film is said to be a fun family comedy starring Vincenzo Salemme and Maz Tortora as competing grandfathers. When Nonno Tom returns from abroad, a series of hilarious challenges ensue as he and Nonno Gerri compete for the affections of their grandchildren.
CONCLAVE. Starring Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini to name a few. Directed by Edward Berger’s the film is an adaption of Robert Harris’ high-stakes drama, in which Cardinals gather at the Vatican to elect a new Pope.
MARCELLO MIO, led by acting royalty and real-life mother-daughter duo Chiara Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. This film is said to be a joyful imagining of the daily lives of a creative family, it focuses on the legacy of the great Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, Chiara’s late, real-life father. Set in Paris, present day: Mastroianni has grown up under the overpowering shadow of not only her famous mother, but also her long-deceased father Marcello. On a whim, she adopts Marcello’s dress and mannerisms. Her mother and friends believe it’s all a bit of fun, but instead find that Chiara is determined not to abandon her new identity, even as a new romance beckons.
MARIA MONTESSORI. This film is a bold and illuminating drama set at the turn of the 20th century. The film stars Jasmine Trinca as the famed Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, whose revolutionary methods are still used across the globe today.
COMANDANTE. The trailer for this film looks interesting. It’s a gripping maritime thriller starring festival favourite Pierfrancesco Favino. Favino is a Naval Captain who commands the Italian Royal Nacy submarine Cappellini in the Battle of the Atlantic and is faced with a moral dilemma.
THERE’S STILL TOMORROW. The directorial debut of Paola Cortellesi, who also stars in the film, follows a woman living in post war Rome with her family who dares to break with tradition. It was the highest grossing film in Italy last year. This film is offered as a Special Presentation this year. It won the 2024 Sydney International Film Festival’s coveted Sydney Film Prize.