“Green Lava”: From Trentino to Hollywood on the Road to the 2027 Oscars
An Italian documentary rooted in Trentino has arrived in Los Angeles with the goal of entering the race for the 2027 Academy Awards. Green Lava, produced by Emotions to Generate Change in collaboration with Vatican News, Vatican Radio and Vatican Media, is screening from September 18 through 24 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills. The theatrical run is a necessary step in the film’s qualification process for Best Documentary Short Film. Directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu, the documentary is in Italian with English subtitles.
The involvement of the Holy See’s media organizations adds an unprecedented dimension to the project. According to Variety, this marks the first time in the history of the Academy Awards that the Vatican has moved to submit a film for Oscar consideration. Green Lava, however, is not an official national entry comparable to those competing for International Feature Film. Documentary Short Film follows a different qualification process and does not require a country to officially designate a film.
At the center of Green Lava is Giacomo Mattivi, 22, from Baselga di Piné in the province of Trento. Mattivi, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, studies sociology, writes poetry and has a strong interest in film, music and nature. In 2022, he lost his brother Mattia, who had the same condition. Through Giacomo’s experience and his relationship with his family and the community of the Piné Plateau, the documentary explores disability, inclusion and the possibility of building an independent future.
The relationship with the Vatican’s media organizations predates the documentary. In 2024, Vatican Radio and Vatican News featured Mattivi’s story in the five-part podcast series Il talento di Giacomo. Il viaggio di un giovane poeta dalla disabilità all’ispirazione (Giacomo’s Talent: A Young Poet’s Journey from Disability to Inspiration). The film was subsequently presented in Rome in January 2025 as part of the Jubilee of the World of Communications.
The project is now moving into the U.S. awards circuit. Its weeklong Beverly Hills theatrical run allows Green Lava to complete one of the steps required to qualify for Academy consideration. Once the run concludes, the team will be able to complete the submission process, bringing a documentary deeply connected to Trentino and its community into the U.S. awards season.
Sources: Variety, Vatican News
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An Italian documentary rooted in Trentino has arrived in Los Angeles with the goal of entering the race for the 2027 Academy Awards. Green Lava, produced by Emotions to Generate Change in collaboration with Vatican News, Vatican Radio and Vatican Media, is screening from September 18 through 24 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills. The theatrical run is a necessary step in the film’s qualification process for Best Documentary Short Film. Directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu, the documentary is in Italian with English subtitles.
The involvement of the Holy See’s media organizations adds an unprecedented dimension to the project. According to Variety, this marks the first time in the history of the Academy Awards that the Vatican has moved to submit a film for Oscar consideration. Green Lava, however, is not an official national entry comparable to those competing for International Feature Film. Documentary Short Film follows a different qualification process and does not require a country to officially designate a film.
At the center of Green Lava is Giacomo Mattivi, 22, from Baselga di Piné in the province of Trento. Mattivi, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, studies sociology, writes poetry and has a strong interest in film, music and nature. In 2022, he lost his brother Mattia, who had the same condition. Through Giacomo’s experience and his relationship with his family and the community of the Piné Plateau, the documentary explores disability, inclusion and the possibility of building an independent future.
The relationship with the Vatican’s media organizations predates the documentary. In 2024, Vatican Radio and Vatican News featured Mattivi’s story in the five-part podcast series Il talento di Giacomo. Il viaggio di un giovane poeta dalla disabilità all’ispirazione (Giacomo’s Talent: A Young Poet’s Journey from Disability to Inspiration). The film was subsequently presented in Rome in January 2025 as part of the Jubilee of the World of Communications.
The project is now moving into the U.S. awards circuit. Its weeklong Beverly Hills theatrical run allows Green Lava to complete one of the steps required to qualify for Academy consideration. Once the run concludes, the team will be able to complete the submission process, bringing a documentary deeply connected to Trentino and its community into the U.S. awards season.
Sources: Variety, Vatican News
Share:
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Los Angeles Gets a New Home for Visual Storytelling
