di Alberto Macchione
September marks the beginning of the spectacle that is Palace Cinema’s Italian Film Festival 2026 which is set to show 33 films in over 2000 sessions at 25 cinemas nationally Silvia Colloca recently announced “some very exciting news to share” that she is “delighted to be back as ambassador for the 2026 St.Ali Italian Film Festival. I’ll be celebrating with you at the Sydney Opening Night Gala on September 17th.
If you have been to those galas before, you know that is a night that you don’t want to miss out on. If you’ve never been, book your tickets now as they go like hot cakes.” Announcing one of her fellow guests Silvia went on to say that “We are going to have so much fun because the opening night film is ‘Holy Cannoli’ – ‘Che Dio Perdona a Tutti’ by Italian film maker Pif (Pierfrancesco Diliberto). Pif himself will be at the opening night gala and I cannot wait.”
Also attending the event will be the start of ‘Sepearate Beds’ – ‘2 cuori, 2 capanne’ AND ‘For you’ – ‘Per Te’, Edoardo Leo. Along with the special guests there will be sparkling drinks, themed events and of course a much anticipated line up of great Italian films.
We spoke to Executive, Fashion Icon and Festival Director, Elysia Zeccola ahead of her Syd ney visit to help launch the festival of all festivals!
We started by asking Elysia about the explosive growth of the Italian Film Festival, albeit, having started much later than other festivals of its kind. “The audience is growing and growing every year. So it’s now in its 27th year, and then coming from the Festival last year, which was over 100,000 admissions, so I’m very, very, very proud of that.”
When asked to compare the language festivals, Elysia points out that the British Film Festival with its native language advantages and recognizable international stars is still being outsold by the Italian Festival. “It’s just behind the Italian. So the foreign language cinemas are beating out the British, which is pretty exciting.”
So what is the attraction to Italian films that causes so much of the festival to continually sell out all over the country? “You know you can go to the movies and watch all these studio films and Hollywood films and English language films, and you know you stream things and dub into English if you like.
But there’s still nothing like the cinema experience, and I and I feel like that when you’re watching a German film or an Italian film or a French film, you’re really seeing the world through a different perspective. You’re really seeing filmmaking done in a different way that’s maybe not as predictable as another formula film. where you can’t predict how a film will end from the first scene, like some studio film, and I think that that’s exciting, and people enjoy that journey and that unexpectedness of taking a chance in a European film.”
Elysia has a very personal connection to one of the films in this program. ‘Il Bene Comune’, billed as ‘The Greater Good’ directed by and starring Rocco Papaleo. Elysia’s father and Palace Cinema founder, Antonio Zeccola comes from Basilicata as does Elysia’s husband whom she met in Melbourne where she resides. “Rocco Papaleo is a great comedic director and actor. He’s much loved, and he’s from Lauria in Basilicata, and he directed ‘Basilicata Coast to Coast’. And there is not often a film from Basilicata, so when there is, I get very excited about it, and so I was really trying to get this booked, and it’s also amazingly that it really captures the landscape of Basilicata, and it’s about a group of women nearing the end of a prison sentence to go on an expedition. They’re taking out for a day trip to the Pollino National Park, and they’re looking for an ancient Bosnian Pine, and so it’s really just incredible to see Basilicata because I feel like Basilicata IS Italy.
Like you can go there and experience the real Italy. You won’t see tourists. You won’t see those shops selling all these silly souvenirs.” If you are there “everyone is looking at you like why are you here and who are you related to.”
Although primarily focusing on new Italian films, the festival always plays some classics in line with a new release. “I think the closing night or in the middle of the festival is a chance to honor some of the actors or directors of the past, and I do that when there’s something new out to talk about. So there’s a new film called ‘Anna Magnani, The Untold Story’, which is a biopic. And so, because of that biopic, I thought it was a great idea to direct a new film to tie into the biopic. And the reason I chose the ‘Bellissima’ and my ‘Mamma Roma’. They’re quite strong for a parent because you know they’re 11 years apart, and two Directors that Anna Magnani works with, Passolini and Visconti, and they’re both about working-class private mothers trying to create the benefits for the children. You must find a lot of old films available elsewhere, but you can’t find these films, so you need to see us. So that’s how I ended up in the selection.
The programme is full of unmissable cinema that must be experienced in a theatre.
Tickets are on sale now for all sessions now at the box office or online at https://ItalianFilmFestival.com.au.
