The 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is the largest festival of Italian cinema in the world. Showcasing a selection of new Italian cinema celebrating the country’s language stories and culture, the festival includes works from contemporary Italian auteurs, documentaries, comedies, a retrospective focus on iconic Italian actor Anna Magnani, two very special guests and the premiere of a new Australian Italian co-production.
Opening the 2026 festival is the Palermo-set box office hit romantic comedy from Pierfrancesco ‘Pif’ Diliberto Holy Cannoli (Che Dio perdona a tutti), a story of love, faith and delicious pastries. The film follows Arturo, a successful real estate agent (played by Pif) with a passion for desserts who falls for a charming, devoutly Catholic pastry chef, Flora.
The Festival Centrepiece is the highly awarded Sweetheart (Gioia mia). Claiming Best Actress and Best New Director at the 2026 David di Donatello Awards amongst other accolades, this drama follows a young boy, Nico, who is sent to spend a summer in Sicily with his elderly aunt, played by beloved Italian actor Aurora Quattrocchi.
The 2026 Festival Special Presentation is the bittersweet Three Goodbyes (Tre ciotole), based on the bestselling novel by Michela Murgia. When a couple (played by acclaimed actors Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano) split up after what seems like a trivial argument, their lives dramatically change in this emotional, ultimately life-affirming tale from award winning director Isabel Coixet.
Closing the Festival direct from this year’s Venice International Film Festival is The Echo Chamber, directed by Andrea Pallaoro. Based on Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay, this love story where the boundaries between presence and absence, care and dependence and desire and control blur until they dissolve stars Alicia Vikander, Luca Marinelli, and Susan Sarandon.
Many other outstanding films are also in this year’s program. For the special presentations and feature films, there is also a glass of prosecco to be enjoyed before the films.
More information about the festival is available here; The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is coming soon to cinemas!
