Interview with Francesco Costabile: with “Familia”, Italy Heads Toward the Oscars

Familia, the second feature film directed by Francesco Costabile, has been selected by ANICA (the Italian Association of Film and Audiovisual Industries) to represent Italy in the race for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, which will take place on March 15, 2026.

Premiering at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti section, Familia is inspired by a true story drawn from Luigi Celeste’s autobiography Non sarà sempre così (2017) and tackles, with realism and sensitivity, the theme of domestic and family violence.

The film stars Francesco Gheghi—winner of the Best Actor Award in Venice’s Orizzonti section—alongside Barbara Ronchi (Kidnapped by Marco Bellocchio) and Francesco Di Leva (Nostalgia by Mario Martone), who received both the Nastro d’Argento and David di Donatello as Best Supporting Actor for this performance as well.

Produced by Attilio De Razza, Nicola Picone, Nicola Giuliano, and Pierpaolo Verga, Familia is a Tramp Limited production, in association with Indigo Film and O’Groove and in collaboration with Medusa Film (Italian distributor). International sales are handled by True Colours.

Italy Meets Hollywood spoke with director Francesco Costabile about his journey, the making of Familia, and the road to the Academy Awards.

Could you tell us about your background and how your career as a filmmaker began? You come from significant experiences in documentary filmmaking, including In a Future April (2020), dedicated to Pier Paolo Pasolini, and you’ve also collaborated with renowned filmmakers such as Gianni Amelio. How did you first approach film directing, and was there a specific moment or encounter that made you realize your future would be behind the camera?

Francesco Costabile: I started dreaming of doing this job as a child, when in Calabria I discovered cinema through television—my only means of escaping a world where culture was largely inaccessible. Through TV I discovered the richness of American cinema and classic Italian cinema. Everything began in my childhood, and I hope this work can always remain a dream, preserving the gaze of that child.

Your debut feature, Una femmina (2022), also explored family and gender-based violence. How did that film influence the path that led you to Familia?

Francesco Costabile: Familia was born directly from my first feature. In my debut I had already explored psychological and gender-based violence within a dysfunctional family connected to the ’ndrangheta (Ed. note: a powerful criminal organization originating in Calabria, southern Italy)  and organized crime. When I presented the film in theaters, I realized its real subject was not the ’ndrangheta but violence itself—psychological and physical. I understood how urgent and universal this theme is, and I sought a story that could expand its boundaries and touch everyone’s sensibility. Because, to some extent, we have all been exposed to some form of violence within our families or relationships. Unfortunately, it’s a universal phenomenon that affects all social classes, and it’s essential to reflect on its cultural roots.

Why did you choose the Latin title Familia? What does it represent for you?

Francesco Costabile: Precisely because the Latin root refers to famulus. In Latin, the term described the group of servants belonging to the head of the household (pater familias). This notion of property and dependence still persists in contemporary society and lies at the origin of violence against women. In Italy, one woman dies every three days—almost always at the hands of men who feel rejected, men who cannot accept a woman’s right to say no.

The film is inspired by Luigi Celeste’s autobiography Non sarà sempre così (2017). How did you encounter his story, and what were the main challenges of adapting it for the screen?

Francesco Costabile: From the start, I felt it was essential to make this film in constant dialogue with the victims. I didn’t want to appropriate such a profound and painful experience without the consent and closeness of the Celeste family. Luigi Celeste was the first person I met; he followed every stage of the process and was also the very first viewer of the finished film—before its international premiere in Venice. The biggest challenge was condensing such a complex, time-spanning story into a length suitable for theatrical release. There was so much material, and I inevitably had to make sacrifices—omitting parts of life, merging certain episodes. The trust I built with Luigi allowed me the freedom to “betray” reality in order to delve deeper into emotional truth. I firmly believe that every film, even when inspired by real events, must remain free in its dramaturgy.

Familia was selected to represent Italy at the Oscars. What meaning does this recognition have for you and for Italian cinema today, amid new production challenges and a renewed focus on social themes?

Francesco Costabile: It was a courageous choice, especially considering the times we’re living in—not only in America but worldwide. Violence is intersectional and manifests in many forms. Today we inhabit a historical moment in which every kind of violence seems normalized, tolerated, even justified. We are losing our sense of humanity. Bringing such a film to America is an important political act, and I hope audiences there will appreciate it. Art and cinema allow us to look at ourselves in the mirror; sometimes what we see frightens us, but we must confront those shadows.

The Oscar campaign also brings you into contact with a different audience and production system. What aspect of this experience in the U.S. intrigues you the most?

Francesco Costabile: I’m interested in the audience—understanding what kind of emotions this film can evoke, especially because it’s a very divisive work. All the characters are controversial, complex, and contradictory. Audiences today are used to polarized positions—you’re either with the victims or with the perpetrators. I love cinema that puts viewers in an uncomfortable position. That’s the beauty of film: it can shake us while still protecting us inside a movie theater.

Are there any American directors or authors you consider major influences?

Francesco Costabile: Absolutely! The entire early cinema of Martin Scorsese. I re-watched all his films while writing the script. Who else has portrayed toxic masculinity—its violence and fragility—with such depth? No one.

Italy Meets Hollywood thanks Francesco Costabile for sharing his insights and reflections.
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