16th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul Presented by The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul

Saturday, March 1 at 2:00pm • Q&A with Director Francesco Costabile, Connecting Live From Italy

MIDWEST PREMIERE

ABOUT THE FILM  (All films are presented in Italian with English subtitles)

Based on an autobiographical account, this moving story centers on Gigi, a young man struggling to escape the shadow of violence that defined his childhood and threatens to doom his family’s future. In early 2000s Rome, Gigi lives with his brother and mother (played by Babara Ronchi, one of the most renowned of a new generation of actresses and winner of the David di Donatello for Best Actress in 2022) far from his violently abusive father, who has been imprisoned for nearly ten years. Tormented by feelings of pain and anger, Gigi finds refuge in a local fascist gang where his rage is accepted and encouraged. When his father reappears after being released from prison, the cycle of abuse, fear and anger resumes, exposing how Gigi and his family have been betrayed by the system supposedly meant to protect them. Gigi must navigate a difficult path forward, doing his best to protect his loved ones while avoiding a destiny in which he follows in his father’s footsteps. Through strong acting and well-crafted cinematography and sound design, this film captures the oppressive tension and conflicting emotions existing within a fractured family, and conveys a sense of empathy and compassion for the characters. There are no easy solutions for Gigi, and he must decide what kind of man he wants to be. “Familia” premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Best Actor prize for Francesco Gheghi’s performance of Gigi.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Francesco Costabile studied Directing at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and started his career making award-winning shorts. He has made several documentaries including “In un futuro aprile” (2020) about Pier Paolo Pasolini. In 2022, he directed and co-wrote “Una Femmina”, which premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival, won the David di Donatello for Best First Feature, two European Golden Globes for Best First Feature and Best Actress (Lina Siciliano), and had its Minnesota premiere to great emotional response at IFF 2023.

TICKET INFO

Single Movies
$14.00 General Admission (+ $2.00 online fee)
$12.00 ICC and Film Society Members
$5.00 Students (Box Office Only)

Passes:
All-Access Festival Pass (Opening Night included):
$110.00 General Admission (+ $3.25 online fee)
$95.00 ICC and Film Society Members, Students
6-Packs Passes (does not include Opening Night):
$65.00 General Admission (+ $2.00 online fee)
$55.00 ICC and Film Society Members, Students

Passes do not guarantee admission to screenings. To ensure admittance, passholders must reserve a ticket in advance either online or at the venue.