A new edition of the Italian film festival MittelCinemaFest arrives at Prague’s Kino Lucerna this weekend, offering local audiences a curated look at contemporary Italian cinema. The program features nine recent titles from established directors and emerging voices, many of which have screened at major international festivals.
Organized with support from the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague and Cinecittà, the event aims to highlight the breadth of contemporary filmmaking in Italy. Several screenings will include appearances by visiting directors and actors, offering audiences added insight into the films’ development and themes.
Set in one of Prague’s oldest cinemas, this year’s festival continues the long-running initiative to bring Italian film culture to Czech viewers. The lineup emphasizes a mix of genres, perspectives, and storytelling approaches while reflecting broader trends in Italy’s evolving film landscape.
A curated look at contemporary Italian cinema
The festival opens on Thursday with Pietro Marcello’s Duse, a portrait of legendary Italian actress Eleonora Duse more than a century after her birth. The film marks the beginning of a weeklong showcase designed to introduce viewers to a diverse range of narrative styles and artistic influences.
Two titles follow on Friday: Heads or Tails?, directed by Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, and Below the Clouds by documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi. The first draws on elements of Italian genre cinema, echoing the style of spaghetti westerns, while the second, an homage to the city of Naples, offers a visually driven exploration rooted in Rosi’s observational methods.
Saturday’s screenings continue the festival’s thematic range. Laura Samani presents A Year of School, a coming-of-age drama examining the transition into adulthood. The director is expected to attend the Prague screening and participate in a post-film discussion.
The late-evening program features Francesco Costabile’s Familia, a biographical drama that has been selected as Italy’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Actor Francesco Di Leva, a David di Donatello Award recipient, will join viewers for the event.
The selections emphasize films that have resonated nationally and internationally, reflecting Italy’s continued presence in global cinema. Organizers describe the program as a window into the country’s cultural and artistic identity, shaped by both established auteurs and emerging filmmakers.
Emerging voices and visiting filmmakers
The second half of the festival begins Sunday with Le Città di Pianura, directed by Francesco Sossai. Screened at Cannes earlier this year, the film offers a bittersweet portrait of a generation and the environment that shapes it.
Margherita Spampinato’s feature debut Sweetheart, a personal drama whose Prague screening will include the director in attendance on Monday, Dec. 1. The festival continues Tuesday with La Gioia by Nicolangelo Gelormini, a film navigating the boundary between reality and imagination. Gelormini’s appearance at the screening is expected to provide additional context for the film’s psychological themes.
The program concludes Wednesday with Carolina Cavalli’s The Kidnapping of Arabella (pictured at top), centered on a young woman’s search for identity. Featuring Benedetta Porcaroli in the leading role, the film closes the festival with a contemporary story grounded in personal discovery.
According to organizers, MittelCinemaFest is intended not only as a showcase of cinematic craft but also as a space for dialogue between filmmakers and audiences. Support from partners including the Italian Ministry of Culture, the City of Prague, and Kino Lucerna underscores its cultural significance and its role in maintaining a strong exchange between Italian and Czech film communities.
More details about this year’s MittelCinemaFest and a full program can be found at the festival website.
