The Garda Cinema Film Festival

Pupi Avati, Marianna Fontana, Edoardo Leo, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Maurizio Nichetti, Mattia Ramberti, and Luca Zingaretti are among the stars of this year’s edition.

A film competition themed "Beyond the Border" and a curated selection of local productions: the shores of Lake Garda will light up for six unforgettable days of cinema and encounters.

Garda (VR) | 11 - 15 giugno 2025

The GARDA CINEMA Film Festival is here, an event directed by journalist and film critic Franco Dassisti, promoted by the association La Decima Musa, chaired by Domenica Currò, with the patronage of the Municipality of Garda. From June 11 to 15 (with a pre-opening on Tuesday the 10th), the festival will shine a spotlight on Lake Garda for six days of great cinema, featuring screenings, meetings with authors and key figures from the Italian film scene, all in a unique atmosphere on the Veronese shores of Lake Garda.

The festival's theme is "Beyond the Border", the guiding thread that will inspire the selection of the competing works, reflecting on the many dimensions of overcoming: from geographical boundaries to inner barriers, in the pursuit of what lies beyond the self.

Garda Cinema will host an International Short Film Competition, divided into two sections — fiction and documentary — featuring a total of 31 selected works that explore the theme of this edition. Alongside the competition, there will be a section dedicated to local cinema, Genius Loci: a space for local audiovisual productions, in a dialogue between identity and creativity, with a selection of seven short films made by young filmmakers from Lake Garda and its surroundings.

A key moment of the festival will be the six gala evenings on the lakefront, during which the best of the Italian film season will be celebrated, with special guests meeting the public and receiving the festival's special awards. The program will open in the beautiful Regina Adelaide lakeside arena with the film Ambra Sabatini – A un metro dal traguardo, a powerful story that celebrates courage and determination: the story of the Paralympic athlete who became a symbol of the universal values of sport and an example of someone who turns their limitations into a strength. The evening, with director Mattia Ramberti in attendance, is organized in collaboration with Autostrade per l’Italia, for which Ambra is a testimonial in their road safety campaign.

Also expected in Garda is Luca Zingaretti, an iconic figure in cinema and television, from the famous Inspector Montalbano to the recent role of Alfredo in La città proibita by Gabriele Mainetti. He will present his directorial debut, La casa degli sguardi, based on the novel by Daniele Mencarelli. Distributed by Lucky Red, the film is a courageous tale of the rebirth of a young man. Garda Cinema will also present a lifetime achievement award to Maurizio Nichetti, cult director and actor in Italian cinema, known for legendary films such as Ratataplan and Volere Volare.

The festival will also feature the presentation of Amichemai, a surreal comedy marking Nichetti’s return to the big screen after more than twenty years, once again alongside Angela Finocchiaro.

Edoardo Leo — actor, director, and screenwriter, one of the most versatile figures in contemporary Italian cinema and the male lead in this season’s top-grossing Italian film Follemente — will be at Garda Cinema with Non sono quello che sono, an intense reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Othello, set in the criminal underworld of early 2000s Rome. Leo wrote, directed, and stars in the film.

On the closing day, Garda Cinema will celebrate one of the leading actresses of the new generation, Marianna Fontana, who debuted in Indivisibili and has since made a name for herself, including in the recent film Luce by Silvia Luzi and Luca Bellino, which she will present to the festival audience.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Pupi Avati, recently honored with a David di Donatello for his entire career. The director and screenwriter, author of an extensive filmography spanning from horror to intimate drama, will be at the festival with his latest film L’orto americano, which has been widely praised by both critics and audiences.

A highly anticipated guest will be Giovanna Mezzogiorno, an award-winning actress, as well as a screenwriter, director, and now author. She will present Ti racconto il mio cinema (Mondadori) in Garda. In this book — aimed at young readers, but not only — Mezzogiorno shares a personal journey full of anecdotes, offering a unique view of cinema through the eyes of someone who lives it from the inside.

On Saturday, the festival will also host a timely event with Giorgio Tabanelli, professor at the University of Urbino, who will present his book Costruttori di Pace (Sottocoperta), which tells the stories of historic figures who dedicated their lives to building bridges and uniting peoples — a mindset of “looking beyond the border” that is more valuable than ever today.

Among the guests of this edition will also be Fabio Testi, a face of Italian cinema in the '70s and '80s, who worked with directors like Vittorio De Sica and Claude Chabrol, and recently starred in Reflection in a Dead Diamond by Hélène Cattet, shown at the latest Berlin Film Festival. Testi will chair the short film jury and will star on June 10 in a special pre-opening evening titled Concerto d’amore in versi, a reading of poems by Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda, and Jacques Prévert, accompanied by classical music and flamenco dancers.

Joining him on the jury are Rosa Palasciano, actress and screenwriter who gained attention with Giulia and recently starred in Taxi monamour by Ciro De Caro, and Antonio Palumbo, a director and screenwriter from Bari active in film, theater, and television, known for works such as Varichina and Nicola: Cozze, Kebab & Coca Cola, a mockumentary with a witty and ironic style.

Rounding out the program of Garda Cinema is the International Short Film Competition, dedicated to fiction and documentary films selected from numerous submissions from around the world, all exploring this year’s theme.

There are 23 fiction short films in competition. Directly from the shortlist of the David di Donatello 2025 comes La Confessione by Nicola Sorcinelli, a story about the end of the world starring Romana Maggiora Vergano and Andrea Arcangeli. Also competing is 154 by Andrea Sbarbaro & Riccardo Copreni, a sci-fi short starring Giovanni Storti.

Adolescence and its challenges are central in Monster by Sophia Lassi, Phantom by Gabriele Manzoni, portraying the solitude of an introverted boy, Gabriele by Matteo Scattaretico, a physical and mental journey of self-discovery, Happy Snaps by Tyro Heath, where a friendship between two teens faces a severe test, and Such a Lovely Day by Simon Woods, a summer family tale.

The lineup continues with A Good Day Will Come by Amir Zargara, a sports-themed story of social redemption, and Burul by Adilet Karzhoev, set in rural Central Asia. The theme of gender-based violence is tackled in Sante o puttane by Giovanni Dinatale, focusing on female mental health, and Misure by Marta Capossela, a claustrophobic story about a husband's psychological abuse toward his wife.

Other notable entries include:

• Tazze by David Casals-Roma, reflecting on the scars of the past;

• Hatch by Alireza Kazemipour & Panta Mosleh, about an Afghan refugee boy preserving his mother's memory;

• Spine by Kristina Panova, exploring the ethical dilemmas of a doctor;

• I’m Not a Robot by Victoria Warmerdam, 2025 Oscar winner for best short film, in which the protagonist uncovers a shocking truth while trying to pass CAPTCHA tests;

• Deep in My Heart is a Song by Jonathan Pickett, where an elderly musician is invited to play at a touching private concert;

• Ryan Can’t Read by Rhys Chapman, following a protagonist battling illiteracy;

• Room Taken by TJ O’Grady-Peyton, a story about the bond between a boy and a blind elderly woman;

• Rochelle by Tom Furniss, about grief and the world of motorsports;

• Après l’incendie by Hristo Todorov, about an unexpected encounter in front of Notre-Dame;

• My Name is Patrick by Fausto Caviglia, pondering how voice shapes identity;

• Ya Hanouni by Lyna Tadount & Sofian Chouaib, a sweet comedy about two parents trying to make their child speak for the first time amid war;

• Drop by Claudio Quattrone, an animated short about a timid drop of rain.

In the Documentary Section, there are 8 titles:

• Campo libero by Cristina Principe, about the baseball championship final for the blind;

• Se io non dimentico by Vincenzo De Caro, a journey to heal a strained mother-daughter relationship;

• Survivors by Oliver Stiller, a political account set in Mexico in 2014 when students were attacked and kidnapped by security forces;

• I sommersi by Giacomo Venturato, the story of Alì, a Pakistani man detained in a repatriation center, facing unimaginable nightmares;

• West Landing by Doug Gallo, a portrait of a group of open-water swimmers in Long Island exploring new paths in life;

• Nella mia zona by Davide Vigore, set in inland Sicily, featuring a successful trapper and a Nigerian barber aspiring to become a pro boxer;

• Le prime volte by Giulia Cosentino & Perla Sardella, using archive footage to tell the story of a friendship born in the 1950s;

• Salt Cured Life by Cassidy Rast & Odin Wadleigh, a journey into eccentric Key West, the southernmost point of the U.S.

Another key section of Garda Cinema is Genius Loci, showcasing short films made by young filmmakers from Lake Garda and its surrounding areas. The seven titles in this section are:

• Dolci acque by Luca Grazioli, a love story set on the shores of Lake Garda;

• 22 by Federico Giovanni Sardi De Letto, a day in the life of a 22-year-old;

• Un giorno by Francesco Bortolan, where a young man confronts a tough loss;

• Caro Pietro by Giorgia Cadei, a tragicomic journey into the mind of a boy trying to quit smoking;

• Tutto il resto è noia by Branimir Liguori, a coming-of-age story set during a hot Roman summer;

• Chi è Fabio by Alberto Marrè, about a group of friends facing an existential riddle;

• Sette minuti by Alessia Bottone, a moving reflection on solitude and love.

“Our festival turns five, proudly reaffirming its mission of combining quality and popularity,” declares artistic director Franco Dassisti.“Once again, the shores of Lake Garda will become the place to share a passion for cinema, meet artists and masters of Italian film, and discover the best in international short film production — a true training ground for tomorrow's great directors. We aim to attract a younger audience through partnerships with film schools across Italy and local high schools. I thank the Mayor of Garda, the sponsors, and all those who have continued to believe in this project.”

Domenica Currò, president of La Decima Musa, adds:“The birth of the association stems from the desire to give continuity to a project I created within the institutional sphere, which over time has grown into a high-quality cultural event. Cinema — with its extraordinary power to tell stories, inspire, and foster collective growth — has been at the heart of this initiative. The film festival had already developed its own identity, recognition, a community of enthusiasts, and a solid working team. With Garda Cinema Film Festival, we want to continue this courageous and creative journey, with the hope that it will become even more rooted in the Lake Garda territory and eventually one of the area’s signature events.”

Framing the festival’s events are two main venues:

• Each evening, the courtyard of the Town Hall, overlooking the splendid Regina Adelaide lakefront, will become an open-air arena for gala nights with guests.

• The Garda Conference Hall, equipped with state-of-the-art screening technology, will host the competition screenings.

Main sponsors of Garda Cinema are Autostrade per l’Italia, organizing the opening night, and Cassa Rurale AltoGarda - Rovereto, the local reference bank.Main partner of the Festival is Riviera, the hospitality project by the Rana family in Punta San Vigilio, featuring a restaurant, panoramic terrace, and beach club. Riviera hosted the festival’s press conference and will be present during the event with refined bites before screenings and meetings, as well as exclusive moments of conviviality for the guests.

Other partners include: Associazione Albergatori Garda, Corte Camaldoli Residence, Gemma Pizzeria, Consorzio Vini Bardolino, Aqualux Hotel, Palace Hotel San Pietro, F.lli Girelli, and Movieland.

Garda Cinema Nights

Ambra Sabatini – One Meter from the Finish Line

by Mattia Ramberti(Italy, 2024, 60 min)Distribution: Adler Entertainment

This is the story of Ambra Sabatini who, just one year after a motorcycle accident in 2019 that led to the loss of her leg, established herself at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics—not only winning the gold medal but also setting the world record in the 100m. After confirming her incredible talent and proving that no obstacle is insurmountable with dedication and determination, she reached the top of the podium once again at the 2023 World Championships in Paris. However, the film’s narrative focuses on her most recent challenge: the Paris 2024 Paralympics, just a month ago. The weight of high expectations and the awareness of having all eyes on her shape this powerful journey.

Event held in collaboration with Autostrade per l’Italia.

La casa degli sguardi

by Luca ZingarettiWith: Luca Zingaretti, Gianmarco Franchini, Federico Tocci, Chiara Celotto(Italy, 2024, 109 min)Distribution: Lucky Red

Marco is 20 years old, deeply sensitive and empathic to the world’s pain. He writes poetry and seeks oblivion in alcohol and drugs—an unconscious state that numbs even the anguish of existence. Marco drinks excessively. He’s running not only from pain but also from himself. He says he must anesthetize himself to survive. He cannot “stay” present unless his blood alcohol content is sky-high. He’s drifted away from friends and his girlfriend, who are frightened by his self-destructive drive. His father, witnessing this slow suicide, is helpless but tries to “be there”; his mother died years ago, leaving a huge void. When Marco is assigned to work at a cleaning cooperative at Bambin Gesù Hospital, he is convinced the experience—being around sick children—will destroy him.

With director and lead actor Luca Zingaretti in attendance.

Amichemai

by Maurizio NichettiWith: Angela Finocchiaro, Serra Yilmaz(Italy, 2024, 90 min)Distribution: Filmclub Distribuzione by Minerva Pictures

Two content creators document the turbulent filming of a road movie. The protagonist, Anna, is a passionate veterinarian whose life is split between running the family farm and juggling multiple familial roles—loving wife, affectionate daughter, anxious mother, and patient grandmother. The sudden death of her ill father, Gino, gives her a chance to finally part ways with his overly attentive caregiver, Aysè, with whom Anna never got along. Aysè returns to Turkey with Gino’s old bed, inherited from him. Together, Anna and Aysè set off—with the bed in tow—on a long journey through the Balkans, destined to change their lives and their relationship forever.

With director Maurizio Nichetti in attendance.

Non sono quello che sono

by Edoardo LeoWith: Edoardo Leo, Jawad Moraqib, Ambrosia Caldarelli, Antonia Truppo(Italy, 2024, 115 min)Distribution: Vision Distribution

Shakespeare’s Othello doesn’t need to be retold—it simply needs to be reread exactly as it was written, with the power of dialect to bring it into the present. Iago, Othello, and Desdemona are, unfortunately, still among us. A timeless story told through a classic, blending news and fiction. Set in early 2000s Rome, where good and evil intertwine in a spiral of betrayal, deception, and destructive jealousy.

With director and lead actor Edoardo Leo in attendance.

Luce

by Silvia Luzi & Luca BellinoWith: Marianna Fontana(Italy, 2024, 95 min)Distribution: Barz and Hippo

A young woman and a voice on the phone in a cold, mountainous region of Southern Italy. A thin line separates needs from desires, imagination from reality. Luce is a role-playing game—it is what it seems, but also its opposite.

With lead actress Marianna Fontana in attendance.

L’orto americano

by Pupi AvatiWith: Filippo Scotti, Roberto De Francesco, Armando De Ceccon, Chiara Caselli(Italy, 2024, 107 min)Distribution: 01 Distribution

A Gothic tale, L’orto americano tells the story of a troubled young man with literary aspirations who instantly falls in love with a beautiful nurse from the American army. Set in Bologna near the time of the liberation, a single glance from the nurse convinces him she is the love of his life. A year later, in the American Midwest, he moves into a house next to hers—or so it seems, as they are divided by a sinister garden. In this house lives the girl’s mother, heartbroken over her daughter’s disappearance after the war, when she had written home about her intention to marry an Italian man. The young man embarks on a tense and emotional search, which leads to a deeply dramatic and unexpected ending in Italy. Once again, director Avati tackles the Gothic genre—first through the familiar locations of his home region, Emilia-Romagna, and then shifting to a rural America uncannily similar to it.

With director Pupi Avati in attendance.

Short & Doc competition

SHORTS

154 di Riccardo Copreni (Italia, 19’)

A Good day will come di Amir Zargara (Canada, 2024, 19’)

Après l’incendie di Hristo Todorov (Francia, 2025)

Burul di Adilet Karzhoev (Kyrgyzstan, 14’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Tazze di David Casals-Roma (Spagna, 2024, 11’)

Distribuzione: Nayox Film

Deep in my heart is a song di Jonathan Pickett (Stati Uniti, 15’)

Distribuzione: AssociakDROP di Claudio Quattrone (Italia, 2024, 3’ 30’’)

Gabriele di Matteo Scattaretico (Italia, 2025, 15’)

Distribuzione: Premiere Film

Happy Snaps di Tyro Heath (UK, 12’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Hatch di Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh (Canada, 2024, 10’)

Distribuzione: Associak

I’m not a robot di Victoria Warmerdam (Belgio / Paesi Bassi, 20’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Misure di Marta Capossela (Italia, 2024, 20’)

Monster di Sophia Lassi (Italia, 2025, 15’)

Distribuzione: Premiere Film

My name is Patrick di Fausto Caviglia (Germania, 2025, 3’)

Phantom di Gabriele Manzoni (Italia, 2024, 17’)

Distribuzione: Premiere Film

Rochelle di Tom Furniss (Nuova Zelanda, 20’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Room taken di TJ O’Grady – Peyton (Irlanda, 17’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Ryan can’t read di Rhys Chapman (UK, 19’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Sante o puttane di Giovanni Dinatale (Italia, 2024, 8’)

Distribuzione: Premiere Film

Spine di Kristina Panova (Russia, 15’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Such a lovely day di Simon Woods (UK, 17’)

Distribuzione: Associak

The Confession di Nicola Sorcinelli (Italy, 2024, 15’)

Distribuzione: NieminenFilm

Ya Hanouni di Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib (Francia, 2024, 3’)

DOC

Campo libero di Cristina Principe (Italia, 2025, 15’)

Distribuzione: Associak

If I don’t forget di Vincenzo De Caro (Italia, 2024, 28’)

Distribuzione: Xiaomi Studio

Le prime volte di Giulia Cosentino, Perla Sardella (Italia / Spagna, 2025, 16’)

Distribuzione: Flavio Armone

Nella mia zona di Davide Vigore (Italia, 2024, 28’)

Distribuzione: Associak

Salt Cured Life di Cassidy Rast, Odin Wadleigh (Stati Uniti, 2025, 25’)

Survivors di Oliver Stiller (Messico, 2024, 18’)

I sommersi di Giacomo Venturato (Italia, 2023, 15’)

West Landing di Doug Gallo (Stati Uniti, 2025, 15’)

GENIUS LOCI

22 di Federico Giovanni Sardi De Letto (Italia, 2025, 20’)

Caro Pietro di Giorgia Cadei (Italia, 10’)

Distribuzione: Believe

Chi è Fabio di Alberto Marrè (Italia, 8’)

Distribuzione: Believe

Dolci acque di Luca Grazioli (Italia, 2025, 20’)

Distribuzione: Believe

Sette minuti di Alessia Bottone (Italia, 15’)

Tutto il resto è noia di Branimir Liguori (Italia)

Distribuzione: Believe

Un giorno di Francesco Bortolan (Italia, 12’)

Distribuzione: Believe