A journey through contemporary Italian cinema.

Explore the program

Program at a glance

Day

  • Film Title
  • Time
Wednesday, 11/18
  • Gioia mia (Sweetheart)
  • 6:00 PM
Thursday, 11/19
  • Elisa
  • 5:30 PM
  • Un anno di scuola (A Year of School)
  • 8:00 PM
Friday, 11/20
  • Brunello, il visionario garbato (Brunello: The Gracious Visionary)
  • 3:00 PM
  • La Gioia (Gioia)
  • 5:30 PM
  • Le città di pianura (The Last One for the Road)
  • 8:00 PM
Saturday, 11/21
  • Dov’e la Fiesta?
  • 3:00 PM
  • Il rapimento di Arabella (The Kidnapping of Arabella)
  • 5:30 PM
  • L’amore sta bene su tutto (Love Fits Everything)
  • 8:00 PM
Sunday, 11/22
  • Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy)
  • 1:00 PM
  • Amata (Beloved)
  • 3:00 PM
  • Che Dio perdona a tutti (God Forgives Everyone)
  • 5:30 PM
 
Gioia mia (Sweetheart)

Gioia mia (Sweetheart)

Italy | 2025 | 92 min. | Margherita Spampinato

November 18, 2026      6.00 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

A reluctant summer together transforms into an enchanting adventure when a young boy discovers his aunt's mysterious Sicilian house holds secrets and, perhaps, ancient spirits lurking within its walls.

After the screening: Join us for the Opening Night Party at KEXP! 
Make sure to purchase the “Movie + Party” ticket to attend.

Elisa

Elisa

Italy | 2025 | 105 min. | Leonardo Di Costanzo

November 19, 2026      5.30 PM
SIFF Cinema Uptown 

After a decade in prison for her sister's murder, Elisa barely remembers the crime. A criminologist helps her uncover buried memories, leading her toward potential redemption.

Un anno di scuola (A Year of School)

Un anno di scuola (A Year of School)

Italy | 2025 | 112 min. | Laura Samani

November 19, 2026      8.00 PM
SIFF Cinema Uptown 

In 2007, Fred moves to Trieste with her father, enrolling in Technical High School. She becomes the only girl in an all-male class, disrupting friends Antero, Pasini, and Mitis' secret desire for her.

Brunello, Il visionario garbato (Brunello: The Gracious Visionary)

Brunello, Il visionario garbato (Brunello: The Gracious Visionary)

Italy | 2025 | 100 min. | Giuseppe Tornatore 

November 20, 2026     3.00 PM
SIFF Cinema Uptown 

A farmer's son transforms into a fashion mogul, building a billion-dollar luxury empire while staying true to his humanistic values and commitment to ethical business practices and fine craftsmanship.

La Gioia (Gioia)

La Gioia (Gioia)

Italy | 2025 | 108 min. | Nicolangelo Gelormini

November 20, 2026      5.30 PM
SIFF Cinema Uptown 

A high school teacher and a troubled student forge a forbidden bond that becomes essential to them both.

Following the screening: Q&A with the film's director, Nicolangelo Gelormini, a guest of Cinema Italian Style.

Le città di pianura (The Last One for the Road)

Le città di pianura (The Last One for the Road)

Italy | 2025 | 98 min. | Francesco Sossai

November 20, 2026      8.30 PM
SIFF Cinema Uptown 

Two blustery 50-somethings have an obsession: going for their last drink. One night, they run into Giulio, a shy architecture student, whose way of seeing the world and love will be transformed as the trio wander from bar to bar of Veneto.

Dov'è la fiesta? (Where is the Fiesta?)

Dov'è la fiesta? (Where is the Fiesta?)

Italy | 2026 | 102 min. | Niccolò Gentili

November 21, 2026     3.00 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

Leo and Irene have been dating for three months and they have not yet faced that moment, the one in which one asks: What are the two of us? In a few days it will be New Year's Eve and friends are pressing on: the time has come to clarify.

Meet the director and co-writer after the film!

Il rapimento di Arabella (The kidnapping of Arabella)

Il rapimento di Arabella (The kidnapping of Arabella)

Italy | 2025 | 107 min. | Carolina Cavalli

November 21, 2026     5.30 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

An Italian woman named Holly is convinced she's the wrong version of herself until meeting a 7-year-old girl who changes her perspective.

Following the screening: Q&A with the film's director, Carolina Cavalli, a guest of Cinema Italian Style.

L'amore sta bene su tutto (Love Fits Everything)

L'amore sta bene su tutto (Love Fits Everything)

Italy | 2025 | 96 min. | Giampaolo Morelli

November 21, 2026     8.00 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

In Rome, a politician, a self-help author and a former pop duo face personal crises that force them to rethink their ideas about love and happiness.

Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy)

Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy)

Italy| 1954 | 97 min. | Roberto Rossellini

November 22     1:00 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

After ten years of marriage, Alexander and Katherine have grown weary of routine and begin to question their love. A journey to Naples, sparked by an unexpected inheritance, plunges them into a world of passion, chaos, and discovery, forcing them to confront what still binds them together.

Amata (Beloved)

Amata (Beloved)

Italy | 2025 | 100 min. | Elisa Amoruso

November 22, 2026     3.00 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

When young Sicilian student Nunzia discovers she is pregnant, she faces an impossible choice: placing her baby for adoption. Meanwhile, Maddalena and Luca, after years of painful struggles to conceive, turn to adoption. Their lives converge, bound by love, sacrifice, hope, and new beginnings.

Che Dio perdona a tutti (God Forgives Everyone)

Che Dio perdona a tutti (God Forgives Everyone)

Italy| 2026 | 113 min. | PIF

November 22     5:30 PM

SIFF Cinema Uptown 

Arturo, a Palermo real estate agent obsessed with Sicilian pastries, falls for Flora, a devout Catholic. To win her heart, he embraces religion in an unexpected way, turning Gospel teachings into daily actions, with the Pope as his unlikely spiritual mentor.