VI
EN
The Italian Embassy in Hanoi, in collaboration with the Asian Film Festival in Rome, is presenting the Italian Film Festival 2025. The festival will take place from October 20th to 25th, 2025 at the National Film Center (87 Lang Ha Street, O Cho Dua Ward, Hanoi), with screenings starting at 7:30 PM daily.
At a press conference held in Hanoi on October 14th, Mr. Marco della Seta, the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, stated: “Through six carefully selected films that have won numerous prestigious awards, the Italian Film Festival 2025 will take Vietnamese audiences on a vibrant journey through various facets of Italy – where stories of love, resilience, and creativity continue to shape a unique cinematic landscape.”
Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Marco della Seta (center), and the speakers.
Continuing Italy's storytelling legacy, this year's festival presents six outstanding, award-winning films that portray the spirit of a nation undergoing profound transformation. From quiet reflections on love and memory to bold depictions of resilience and defiance, these stories weave together a portrait of contemporary Italy – vibrant, constantly evolving, and imbued with a deep sense of humanity.
Nguyen Hoang Phuong – Director of the TPD Center for Supporting the Development of Cinematic Talents, said: "This is the fourth time I've participated in this event, and I continue to pay special attention to the field of film directing – a key element in conveying the message. Italian cinema stands out with prestigious awards such as the David di Donatello and Nastro d'Argento, reflecting artistic depth and creativity recognized by professionals. I hope this film festival will help Vietnamese audiences better appreciate the unique characteristics of Italian cinema, which always emphasizes authorial individuality and sophisticated visual language."
This year, music has been a prominent feature throughout many works, from the vibrant, free-flowing melodies in musicals.Gloria!to the sound of music that heals the pain withinLife apartMusic is not only an artistic medium but also a tool for expressing the desire to live, to resist, and to connect people. The participating films are all award-winning movies, showcasing the richness and outstanding quality of contemporary Italian cinema.
Speaker Nguyen Hong Quan
Nguyen Hong Quan – Producer, Director, and Lecturer at the Film Department, Hanoi University of Theatre and Film – shared more about the musical aspect of Italian cinema: “I noticed that music appears quite frequently in contemporary Italian cinema, not only as an illustration but also closely intertwined with the storyline and the characters' emotions. This is a very interesting element that particularly interests me. I admire directors who skillfully integrate music into their works, helping audiences not only watch but also truly feel the cinema more deeply. If given the opportunity, I will certainly continue to pursue and research this fascinating topic in more depth.”
Discover 6 films at the Italian Film Festival 2025:
Gloria! (2024 - musical, drama - directed by Margherita Vicario)
Teresa was a lowly, underprivileged maidservant, always looked down upon in the Sant'Ignazio convent/music academy. Her life would likely have continued uneventfully if she hadn't accidentally discovered a piano in the basement. Music was Teresa's language, and also her attitude towards the injustices and oppression. Perhaps that's why it was so unrestrained, full of joy, making her feet want to dance and her heart want to rebel. Teresa's piano playing became a flame, connecting the students in the convent to challenge the established norms, even in the presence of the Pope and the Governor.
"Gloria!" has won numerous prestigious awards in Italy: the Golden Globe Award (Italy) for Best First Film and Best Original Score, the David di Donatello Award for Best Young Director, the BNL BNP Paribas Award for Best Young Director, and the Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Original Score.
Notably, the soundtrack for Gloria!, written by director Margherita Vicario herself, won the "Soundtrack Stars Award" at the 81st Venice Film Festival. Before making her directorial debut, she was also known as a prominent actress, singer, and songwriter of her generation.
VERMIGLIO (2024 - DRAMA - DIRECTED BY MAURA DELPERO)
"Vermiglio" revolves around the Cesare Graziadei family, a strict and large family of teachers in a remote village isolated in the Alps. The film begins slowly, with stunningly beautiful blue-green shots: the snow-capped Alps, tranquil houses, peaceful daily life... and then, a series of events unfold like a domino effect, evoking conflicting and mixed emotions in the audience – starting with Lucia, the eldest daughter, meeting and marrying Pietro, a deserter from Sicily. When the war ends, Pietro returns to Sicily to visit relatives and then disappears without a trace, despite promising to return to Lucia. She completely loses track of her husband until she sees information about him in the newspaper, at which point a new wave of tragedy strikes.
"Vermiglio" received the Silver Lion at the 81st Venice Film Festival and was selected to represent Italy in the "Best Foreign Language Film" category at the 97th Academy Awards. At the 70th David di Donatello Awards, Vermiglio won 7 out of 14 nominations, including Best Picture.
Hey Joe (2024 - drama - directed by Claudio Giovannesi)
Set in the 1970s, "Hello Joe" follows Dean Barry, a former American soldier haunted by his time in Southern Italy during the Naples–Salerno campaign (1943). Burdened by his past, Dean exists like a ghost, dark and lost. One day, he receives a letter addressed from Italy stating that he has an illegitimate child in Naples.
So, more than 25 years after the war, Dean Barry embarks on a journey to Italy, facing not only language and cultural barriers but also confronting unhealed wounds, reconciling with his son, and reconciling with himself. Under the hand of Claudio Giovannesi, the rugged post-war landscape of Naples is softened by jazz, blues, and pop music, portraying a city, and a people, wounded but resilient, yearning for hope and nurturing love.
This latest work by director Claudio Giovannesi has received the Best Sound Award at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists 2025, a nomination for Best Cinematography at the David di Donatello Awards 2025, and nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists 2025.
La Vita Accanto/Life Apart (2024 - drama - directed by Marco Tullio Giordana)
Born into a well-to-do family, Rebecca Macola was born with a red birthmark, ostracized by society and even by her own mother. However, to compensate for this facial imperfection, Rebecca possessed a natural musical talent. Under the guidance of her aunt, a renowned pianist, Rebecca used music as an escape from pain, social barriers, and feelings of alienation.
With powerful performances from a talented cast and the pen of Oscar-winning composer Dario Marianelli, "Life Apart" not only garnered audience acclaim but also won numerous prestigious awards, including: the Marco Tullio Lifetime Achievement Award at the Locarno Film Festival 2024, Best Actress at the Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani 2024, and nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the Nastro d'Argento Awards 2025.
Diciannove/Nineteen (2024 - drama - directed by Giovanni Tortorici)
Leonardo, 19, leaves his small town for London to study business. However, his initial excitement for the big city soon fades, replaced by anxieties as he realizes he doesn't fit in with his chosen field of study or the pace of London. Leonardo moves to Siena to study literature and continues to find himself unsuitable, eventually moving to Turin. Leonardo's journey of escape, inner conflict, self-discovery, and exploration of relationships, family, and society—all of this—gives the work a strong connection to "lost" young people, those forced to find themselves amidst thousands of seemingly attractive and easy choices, inevitably leading to mistakes.
"Nineteen" has been selected to participate in numerous film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Viennale International Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival. The film won the Young Talent Award for Best Feature Film at the Hamburg Film Festival 2024. At the Venice Film Festival 2024, "Nineteen" was nominated in two categories: the Venice Horizons Award - Best Film and the Queer Lion Award, and was nominated for the International Cinema Award - Best International First Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2025.
Nonostante/Feeling Better (2024 - fantasy, drama - directed by Valerio Mastandrea)
"Feeling Better," by renowned director/actor Valerio Mastandrea, presents a surreal situation where the world of souls trapped between life and death exists, set in a hospital where many patients are immersed in endless comas. These souls wander through the hospital, some unable to awaken, others choosing to delay their awakening.
That carefree, unconstrained, and worry-free life is disrupted by a new soul who joins, possessing a more intense desire to live than anyone else, with a fiery and decisive personality. Her arrival awakens the desire to live, love, and feel in the souls temporarily "living" in that world to escape reality, thereby further enhancing the value of love and life.
The film won the 2025 Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Original Story. It was also nominated in several important categories, including: the Orizzonti Award for Best Film, the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor, the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor, the Orizzonti Jury Prize, the Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Screenplay, and the Orizzonti Award for Best Director.
Screening schedule for 6 films at the Italian Film Festival 2025:
- October 20th: Vermiglio
- October 21st: Feeling Better - Nonostante (Feeling Better)
- October 22nd: THE LIFE APART - LA VITA ACCANTO
- October 23rd: NINETEEN - DICIANNOVE (NINETEEN)
- October 24th: GLORIA! October 25th: HEY JOE!
The films will be screened in Italian, with Vietnamese and English subtitles. In particular, after each screening, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session and discussion with Mr. Antonio Termenini, Artistic Director of the Asian Film Festival in Rome and the Italian Film Festival in Hanoi. Tickets are priced at 30,000 VND/ticket and will go on sale from 9:00 AM on October 15, 2025, at the ticket counter and online via the National Film Center's app/website.
