CLEVELAND, Ohio — Italy has won the Academy Award for Best International Film 14 times. That’s more than any other country, and it’s part of the reason why Joyce Mariani started the Cleveland Italian Film Festival.
Now in its 18th year, the festival returns next month with screenings on three consecutive Thursdays at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights and Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium 16 in Mentor.
The lineup begins Sept. 18 at the Cedar Lee with “There’s Still Tomorrow (C’è Ancora Domani),” the directorial debut of Paola Cortellesi. The dramedy follows Delia, a wife and mother in postwar Rome who dreams of a better future while pushing back against the patriarchy. The film was a breakout hit in Italy, winning six awards at the 2024 David di Donatello, the country’s equivalent of the Oscars.
On Sept. 25, the festival shifts to Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes with “Kidnapped (Rapito),” a 2023 historical drama from veteran director Marco Bellocchio. It tells the true story of a young Jewish boy seized by the Papal States and forced to convert to Catholicism, sparking international outrage.
The series wraps up Oct. 2, also at the Atlas Great Lakes, with “A World Apart (Un Mondo a Parte).” Riccardo Milani’s comedy centers on a longtime teacher who leaves Rome for a struggling school in Abruzzo that’s on the verge of closing.
All showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Films are presented in Italian with English subtitles. Tickets are $13 and available at CleItalianFilm2025.eventbrite.com.
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