The call of the Bel Paese
by Elisabetta Brunella

Which Italian films and co- productions will be hitting the big screen abroad in the next months?
Among the upcoming releases, one title stands out as the flagship of Italian cinema’s global success in 2024: the dramedy “C’è ancora domani”/”There’s still tomorrow”, Paola Cortellesi’s directorial debut. Her film, already sold in over 120 markets, will expand to two more countries at the end of November – Denmark and Lithuania - adding to the list of European territories that have embraced Delia’s story and her journey of rebellion.
It will also debut “on the other side of the world”. On November 28, theatres in New Zealand will premiere the film, which has already won the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and has been touring major Australian cities since late October. Distributed by Limelight, the film will have a wide distribution in independent theatres as well as in prominent chains such as Dendy, Event, and, of course, Palace Cinemas, the company founded by Antonio Zeccola, the son of a theatre owner from Muro Lucano, who has become “the ambassador” of Italian cinema in Australia.
In December, distributor Future Films will bring “C’è ancora domani” to Finland and Norway, where Cortellesi’s directorial debut will be released on Christmas Day.
But its journey won’t end in 2024; the new year will see its arrival in Hungary, the United States, Canada, and Serbia.
Before 2025 arrives, however, there will be additional opportunities for international audiences, especially European, to discover Italian films and co-productions, starting with “Maria”, which will premiere in Romania on December 20, thanks to Bad Unicorn, the company that has distributed “Io Capitano”.
On the same day, Triart will release “Parthenope” by Paolo Sorrentino in Swedish theatres, while the film will debut in Spain and Denmark on Christmas Day and in Russia on December 26.
This latest journey by the Neapolitan director through his hometown, two years after “È stata la mano di Dio”/”The hand of God”, will reach dozens of countries worldwide in 2025, including Germany, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania.
Around the same time, “Maria”, the co-production that recounts the final days of Maria Callas, masterfully portrayed by Angelina Jolie, will reach key European markets, including France, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. It is also set to debut in the Americas, with a release in Brazil planned for February.
The start of the new year will see the international release of “Vermiglio”, the film that won the Silver Lion in Venice. Maura Del Pero’s second film is already scheduled for release in Spain, France, Norway, and Russia and will reach several other territories. It will offer audiences a powerful, moving story set in an Italian village during the final year of World War II.
Distributors who have acquired theatrical rights for the film include multi-territory companies like Moving Turtle, which operates in North Africa, particularly in Tunisia and Egypt, and the Middle East, including Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman.
Similarly, “Parthenope” has secured distribution in Latin America through Pasatiempo Pictures, which holds rights across numerous markets, from Mexico to Argentina, including major territories like Colombia and Brazil.
Among the factors facilitating the international reach of Italian films, institutional support has proven particularly significant, as seen in the case of “C’è ancora domani”. Many screenings, often premieres, have been organized with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute or the Italian Embassy, on the occasion of International Women’s Day or as part of Italian film festivals and screenings. Examples include screenings in Europe (Paris and Brussels), Africa (Rabat and Maputo), and the Americas (Brasilia, Buenos Aires, and Bogotá), where, aside from the film’s artistic value, the women empowerment topic has been highlighted.
A special event worth noting took place at the Kino Armata in Prishtina, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Kosovo and the Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana. The invitation for the screening emphasized the neorealistic style of Cortellesi’s black-and-white “dramedy.” After all, it’s well-known that audiences worldwide enjoy recognizing the timeless heritage of classic Italian cinema masters in contemporary films from the Bel Paese.
This article was published in the November-December 2024 issue of Cinema & Video Int'l, the MEDIA Salles media partner.
Upcoming Italian movie releases

|