Sicily and Sardinia Take Center Stage in Italian Cinema: Taormina Film Festival and Filming Italy Sardegna Scheduled for Summer 2025
Italian film tradition will be showcased this summer thanks to two important film festivals, both under the direction of Tiziana Rocca, which are set to transform the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia into international centers for cinema.
Taormina Film Festival: 71 Years of Cinematic Excellence (June 10-14)
The historic Taormina Film Festival will celebrate its 71st anniversary from June 10-14, 2025, continuing its long tradition of bringing international cinema to the renowned Sicilian coastal town. Set in the stunning backdrop of the Ancient Theater overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this edition promises a carefully curated selection of premieres, retrospectives, and industry events.
As a tribute to its Sicilian roots, the festival will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Giuseppe Tornatore’s evocative “Malèna,” the film that launched Monica Bellucci to international fame. This celebration underscores the event’s commitment to showcasing Italy’s rich cinematic heritage while looking to the future.
The festival has historically attracted major Hollywood stars to its Mediterranean setting, with past editions hosting world-renowned actors such as Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Robert De Niro. Although the complete program for the 2025 edition has yet to be announced, organizers promise a mix of established talent and emerging voices.
Filming Italy Sardegna Festival: A Bridge Between Cinema and Television (June 18-28)
Just as the Taormina festival concludes, the spotlight will shift to Sardinia for the eighth edition of the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, to be held from June 18-28 between Cagliari and the Forte Village resort.
This younger but equally dynamic festival has established itself as a unique event in the international calendar, creating a bridge between the worlds of cinema and television. It brings together key players from theatrical distribution, television networks, and global streaming platforms, creating a vibrant meeting hub for both industry professionals and the public.
The 2025 program will present approximately 50 Italian and international titles across various genres, including numerous world and national premieres. Beyond screenings, participants can engage in industry panels, masterclasses, and networking events.
One of the festival’s distinctive initiatives is “Filming Italy Sardegna – In Corto,” a short film competition organized in collaboration with the University of Cagliari. This year’s short film jury will be chaired by acclaimed actress and director Micaela Ramazzotti.
The festival also emphasizes educational opportunities through its Academy Cinema initiative, working closely with film schools and universities throughout Italy to offer workshops and direct encounters with industry professionals. As a plastic-free event, it also cares about environmental sustainability alongside cultural themes such as gender equality.
Italy Meets Hollywood spoke with Tiziana Rocca, director of both festivals, to explore the role of these events in the international film landscape.
- What vision connects these two Mediterranean festivals, and how do they complement each other in the Italian cultural landscape?
“Italy’s two major islands are connected by these two festivals. In both festivals, we give importance to new developments in the audiovisual field, both Italian and international. The Taormina Festival is historic, now in its 71st edition: over these decades, artists like Federico Fellini, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and Tom Cruise have graced the Ancient Theater of Taormina. This year it will be Martin Scorsese’s turn, for the first time at the Festival. I would say it’s a festival that feels an atavistic attachment to its land, because the location is unique.
Filming Italy Sardegna is focused on conversations: the various masterclasses allow bringing cinema – and TV series – even closer to viewers. It’s a festival that, while hosting personalities like Harvey Keitel, Matt Bomer, and Paz Vega, feels more intimate. I chose southern Sardinia, Cagliari, with the desire to launch a challenge to better showcase the beauties of southern Sardinia and Cagliari.”
- How do Filming Italy Sardegna and the Taormina Film Fest concretely contribute to promoting Italian cinema abroad?
“Filming Italy Sardegna supports cinema in theaters during summer, especially thanks to the initiative of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Cinecittà, and Anec, Cinema Revolution. This year, the Filming Italy Sardegna poster is linked to the importance of movie theaters, which absolutely must not close, because they represent fundamental cultural centers where young people meet.
Filming Italy Sardegna is in its eighth year; it’s incredible how quickly time has flown. The Festival has become a reference point for promoting audiovisual products and for many young students who have approached the world of the seventh art full of hopes and curiosity. Thanks to the festival, many of their works then take flight, enjoying international visibility. Additionally, foreign actors and directors forge relationships that lead them to explore possibilities for co-productions and collaborations.
The same happens for the Taormina Film Festival: it enjoys visibility that allows present authors to be known outside Italy. The Ancient Theater stage is not just a physical stage, but one of the soul.”
- What are the main challenges that a film festival today must face to remain relevant and a reference point, both for the public and industry professionals?
“I believe that each edition of the festival must have its own vision. For example, with Filming Italy Sardegna, I have always tried to support women in the world of cinema: we need many more female directors who tell beautiful and interesting stories and who highlight the figure of women. Within my festival, I also created an award called the Filming Italy Woman Power Award. Thus, each year this physiognomy echoes. And if it has coherence, then the festival program ‘writes itself.’ It is undeniable that having prominent names facilitates the presence of industry professionals: but it is only the wave of a movement born months before, from when consolidated relationships are created that allow talents to be present on the beaches of these two magnificent islands.”
For more information, visit the official websites of the Taormina Film Festival and Filming Italy Sardegna Festival.
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Italian film tradition will be showcased this summer thanks to two important film festivals, both under the direction of Tiziana Rocca, which are set to transform the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia into international centers for cinema.
Taormina Film Festival: 71 Years of Cinematic Excellence (June 10-14)
The historic Taormina Film Festival will celebrate its 71st anniversary from June 10-14, 2025, continuing its long tradition of bringing international cinema to the renowned Sicilian coastal town. Set in the stunning backdrop of the Ancient Theater overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this edition promises a carefully curated selection of premieres, retrospectives, and industry events.
As a tribute to its Sicilian roots, the festival will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Giuseppe Tornatore’s evocative “Malèna,” the film that launched Monica Bellucci to international fame. This celebration underscores the event’s commitment to showcasing Italy’s rich cinematic heritage while looking to the future.
The festival has historically attracted major Hollywood stars to its Mediterranean setting, with past editions hosting world-renowned actors such as Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Robert De Niro. Although the complete program for the 2025 edition has yet to be announced, organizers promise a mix of established talent and emerging voices.
Filming Italy Sardegna Festival: A Bridge Between Cinema and Television (June 18-28)
Just as the Taormina festival concludes, the spotlight will shift to Sardinia for the eighth edition of the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, to be held from June 18-28 between Cagliari and the Forte Village resort.
This younger but equally dynamic festival has established itself as a unique event in the international calendar, creating a bridge between the worlds of cinema and television. It brings together key players from theatrical distribution, television networks, and global streaming platforms, creating a vibrant meeting hub for both industry professionals and the public.
The 2025 program will present approximately 50 Italian and international titles across various genres, including numerous world and national premieres. Beyond screenings, participants can engage in industry panels, masterclasses, and networking events.
One of the festival’s distinctive initiatives is “Filming Italy Sardegna – In Corto,” a short film competition organized in collaboration with the University of Cagliari. This year’s short film jury will be chaired by acclaimed actress and director Micaela Ramazzotti.
The festival also emphasizes educational opportunities through its Academy Cinema initiative, working closely with film schools and universities throughout Italy to offer workshops and direct encounters with industry professionals. As a plastic-free event, it also cares about environmental sustainability alongside cultural themes such as gender equality.
Italy Meets Hollywood spoke with Tiziana Rocca, director of both festivals, to explore the role of these events in the international film landscape.
- What vision connects these two Mediterranean festivals, and how do they complement each other in the Italian cultural landscape?
“Italy’s two major islands are connected by these two festivals. In both festivals, we give importance to new developments in the audiovisual field, both Italian and international. The Taormina Festival is historic, now in its 71st edition: over these decades, artists like Federico Fellini, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and Tom Cruise have graced the Ancient Theater of Taormina. This year it will be Martin Scorsese’s turn, for the first time at the Festival. I would say it’s a festival that feels an atavistic attachment to its land, because the location is unique.
Filming Italy Sardegna is focused on conversations: the various masterclasses allow bringing cinema – and TV series – even closer to viewers. It’s a festival that, while hosting personalities like Harvey Keitel, Matt Bomer, and Paz Vega, feels more intimate. I chose southern Sardinia, Cagliari, with the desire to launch a challenge to better showcase the beauties of southern Sardinia and Cagliari.”
- How do Filming Italy Sardegna and the Taormina Film Fest concretely contribute to promoting Italian cinema abroad?
“Filming Italy Sardegna supports cinema in theaters during summer, especially thanks to the initiative of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Cinecittà, and Anec, Cinema Revolution. This year, the Filming Italy Sardegna poster is linked to the importance of movie theaters, which absolutely must not close, because they represent fundamental cultural centers where young people meet.
Filming Italy Sardegna is in its eighth year; it’s incredible how quickly time has flown. The Festival has become a reference point for promoting audiovisual products and for many young students who have approached the world of the seventh art full of hopes and curiosity. Thanks to the festival, many of their works then take flight, enjoying international visibility. Additionally, foreign actors and directors forge relationships that lead them to explore possibilities for co-productions and collaborations.
The same happens for the Taormina Film Festival: it enjoys visibility that allows present authors to be known outside Italy. The Ancient Theater stage is not just a physical stage, but one of the soul.”
- What are the main challenges that a film festival today must face to remain relevant and a reference point, both for the public and industry professionals?
“I believe that each edition of the festival must have its own vision. For example, with Filming Italy Sardegna, I have always tried to support women in the world of cinema: we need many more female directors who tell beautiful and interesting stories and who highlight the figure of women. Within my festival, I also created an award called the Filming Italy Woman Power Award. Thus, each year this physiognomy echoes. And if it has coherence, then the festival program ‘writes itself.’ It is undeniable that having prominent names facilitates the presence of industry professionals: but it is only the wave of a movement born months before, from when consolidated relationships are created that allow talents to be present on the beaches of these two magnificent islands.”
For more information, visit the official websites of the Taormina Film Festival and Filming Italy Sardegna Festival.
Share:
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