Exclusive Interview with Director of The Italian Film Festival, Elysia Zeccola. “It’s my 26th year and thank you for joining me on this journey.”
By Alberto Macchione
Italians, the multicultural and cinema communities owe so much to Elysia Zeccola and the Zeccola family.
Through her hard work and incredible skills as an event manager and film curator, we are all given very special opportunities to find out who we are and who we can be through the magic of cinema. More so, we are given a chance to come together and celebrate experiences and make our own memories through the power of celluloid.
Allora! had the privilege of learning more about the festival from Elysia Zeccola, who has the honour of curating “the biggest Festival of Italian cinema in the world, boasting over 90,000 admissions and growing every year.” The Festival Director has now organised her 26th Italian Film Festival. This Festival, as always, boasts an incredible line up of new and classic Italian cinema and a whole host of glamorous events, which has the Italian community breathless with anticipation.
The festival program guide has just been released and it is an absolute feast for the senses. Because there is so much unmissable cinema, I asked Elsyia if there were any films that might fly under the radar that we should look out for. “The locally made documentary Signorinella: Little Miss will be a sleeper hit because it taps into the Italo-Australian migrant experience.
There are so many great stories out there and the film captures some of them, focusing on the grit and determination of the Italian women who helped shape the Italian-Australian community.”
Sharing the migrant theme, Napoli – New York is also a heartfelt account, featuring festival favourite Pierfrancesco Favino and directed by Academy Award winner Gabriele Salvatores. “You can’t help but fall in love with two Neapolitan children as they stow away on a ship to New York in 1949,” Elysia enthuses.
Beyond all these little surprises on the program, I out and out asked Elysia what her favourite film of the festival was. “The Opening Night Selection Somebody To Love (FolleMente) from Paolo Genovese, the director of Perfect Strangers, is the Number One smash-hit comedy of the year and very entertaining as his films always are!”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, “this year’s retrospective shines a spotlight on Giallo because it’s such a cool and unique genre of Italian cinema. It mixes mystery, thriller, and horror in a stylish way that really stands out. Plus, Giallo has a big influence on movies around the world, and the horror genre has been growing in popularity in recent years, so it’s a great way to acknowledge Italian filmmakers who have inspired the work of many contemporary directors.”
The program is saturated in spectacle, with so many marvellous events to attend. I asked Australia’s premier film curator what we had to look forward to. “Aside from the Opening Night Gala and Brindisi events, we have a post-film Q&A with the director and special guests at the following sessions of Signorinella: Little Miss at Palace Moore Park Cinema on Friday 19 September; the Centrepiece Premiere for Paolo Sorrentino’s new film La Grazia, direct from the Venice Film Festival; a Solbevi Limoncello Spritz for a taste of Naples before the Oct 4 screenings of Napoli – New York; and our Campari Closing Night with iconic Italo-Australian classic, Looking for Alibrandi, screening in a new 4K restoration.”
The inclusion of Looking for Alibrandi is particularly significant. The film, based on Melina Marchetta’s beloved novel, has become a cultural touchstone for generations of Italo-Australians. “Melina told Allora that she can’t wait to see the coming-of-age classic on the big screen again and has been spruiking the film’s appearance in this year’s Festival in her public appearances.”
For many, it remains a story about belonging, identity, and resilience.
“I related to the film and book a lot when I went through high school in the 90s,” recounts Elysia. “I remember the casual racism and feeling like I didn’t fit in. Like many Italo-Australians this film resonated on many levels and I’m really looking forward to re-living it at the Closing Night!”
Ultimately, the Festival is more than a celebration of cinema – it is a mirror of identity, belonging, and creativity.
Whether you come for the glamour, the laughter, the nostalgia, or the chance to discover hidden gems, the Italian Film Festival continues to enrich Australia’s cultural life. We are all looking forward to it – and tickets are already selling fast.
Book now on: italianfilmfestival.com.au
