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• SPONSOR the 17th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul

  • Start
    04 Nov 2025
  •  
    6:00 PM
  • End
    15 Mar 2026
  •  
    10:00 PM
  • Location
    The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main St, Minneapolis, MN 55414

  Register

  

  Contribute to the Vibrant Arts and Cultural Scene of the Twin Cities

  Step into the spotlight and help us bring the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis/St. Paul to life! From February 26 to March 1, 2026, at The Main Cinema, we’ll celebrate the artistry and passion of Italian storytelling through contemporary masterpieces alongside timeless classics.

  Event Details

  When: February 26 - March 1, 2026

  Where: The Main Cinema, Minneapolis (with easy parking access!)

  All films are in Italian with English subtitles, offering an authentic and accessible experience.

  Why Sponsor?

  Whether you're an organization or an individual, your contribution enriches the Twin Cities cultural landscape while allowing you to be part of a prestigious and meaningful cultural event.
  
  Benefits of Sponsorship Include:

  • Complimentary access and preferred seating.
  • Fast lane entry and exclusive moments with guest filmmakers.
  • High-visibility recognition in festival materials.

  
  

  How to Become a Sponsor:
  Explore the Sponsorship Package (View  package HERE).

  To Complete your Sponsorship:
  Click on the Register button and select the sponsorship level at which you’d like to support the festival.

  For sponsorships of $1,000 or more, we prefer payment by check or Zelle to help us avoid transaction fees. If this works for you, please select ‘Invoice Me’ when prompted so we know to expect your check or Zelle.

  Please make your check payable to Italian Cultural Center (250 Third Ave. N, Suite 625, Minneapolis, MN 55401) and include “IFF” in the memo line.

  To send money directly into our Wells Fargo account, you can use any of the following three Zelle recipient options:
  

  • astrid@theitalianculturalcenter.org
  • ronlattin@gmail.com
  • 612-272-5312

  
  

  
  Presented in Partnership

  The Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis/St. Paul is proudly presented by the Italian Cultural Center in partnership with MSP Film Society and The Main Cinema. 

  
  

  
  

  Join us in celebrating Italian cinema and making a lasting impact on the arts community.

  
  
  
  
  Grazie ai nostri sponsor e sostenitori!
  

  
  

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  Produttore d’Élite

  

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  Produttore Esecutivo 

  

  
  

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  Assistente di Produzione

  
  

  Brian Balleria & Joan Bechtold

  Ann Burns

  Matt & Amber Christian

  Albert & Susan Colianni

  Astrid Garino & Massimo Costalonga
  

  Ron Curran

  
  

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  Regista

  
  

  Catherine Allan
  

  Anthony & Giada Nucera

  
  

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  Aiuto Regista

  
  

  Deborah Pile & Jack Flynn
  

  Corby & Ginny Kistler

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Show details
• IL CIRCOLO LETTERARIO: Introducing Goliarda Sapienza, a literary lead-up to the 17t Italian Film Festival

  • When
    18 Jan 2026
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    The Italian Cultural Center, 250 Third Ave N., Suite 625, Minneapolis, MN 55401
  • Spaces left
    20

  Register

  

  In our last Circolo Letterario, we explored the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, focusing on her profound relationship with the Italian language and her choice to write and create in Italian.

  In this new Circolo Letterario, presented in English by Pieranna Garavaso, professor emerita at the University of Minnesota Morris, we turn our attention to the life and work of writer Goliarda Sapienza (1924–1996), author of the now celebrated novel L’arte della gioia (The Art of Joy, 1998). Sapienza’s writing, long overlooked in her lifetime, has come to be recognized for its daring exploration of personal freedom, female autonomy, and the quest for authenticity in 20th-century Italy. The first section of L’arte della gioia has also recently been brought to the screen in a successful two-part television series of the same name, directed by Valeria Golino, further renewing interest in Sapienza’s work.

  This presentation is especially timely as part of our lead-up to the 17th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul (February 26-March 1), where we will screen Fuori by Mario Martone, a film that brings to life a pivotal chapter of Sapienza’s life described in her book L'università di Rebibbia, which chronicles Sapienza’s reclusion in a well-known Roman jail. Through both her literature and this cinematic portrait, we will discuss the social, cultural, and political context that shaped Sapienza’s life and her fearless, uncompromising voice.

  A book club edition of the Circolo Letterario is planned for Sunday, February 15th, for those who wish to read L’arte della gioia (available in Italian or English) and/or L'università di Rebibbia (available in Italian) and share their impressions. Discussions will take place in English and/or Italian, depending on the attendees.

  
  

  Pieranna Garavaso is native Italian and came to the US to earn a PhD in Philosophy (at the U of Nebraska Lincoln). She taught Philosophy at the University of Minnesota Morris for 34 years. She was awarded the UMN Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award (2003), the Horace T. Morse Alumni Association Undergraduate Teaching Award (2004) and the UMN Morris Faculty Research Award (2017). Her areas of research include History of Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Mathematics, and Feminist Philosophies.  She has published articles in Italian and English and authored, co-authored or edited several books; the last collection she has edited is the Bloomsbury Companion to Analytic Feminism (2018).  As Emerita/retired she plans to devote more time to reading and discussing Italian literature.

  
  

  In 2021, ICC was appointed Presidio Letterario of the Società Dante Alighieri (DA), one of the most important Italian institutions for the promotion and appreciation of Italian language and culture since 1889. ICC is now part of a network of cultural centers in Italy and abroad promoting events and initiatives related to Italian literature. Since 2009 DA has officially been part of the jury of Premio Strega, the most prestigious Italian literary award.

  Show details
• CINEFORUM - La strada

  • When
    23 Jan 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM
  • Location
    FilmNorth, 2441 University Ave W, Suite 100 Saint Paul, MN 55114
  • Spaces left
    19

  Register

  
  

  LA STRADA
  Year: 1954
  Directed by: Federico Fellini
  Cast: Giulietta Masina, Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart

  There has never been a face quite like Giulietta Masina’s. Under the direction of her husband, the legendary Federico Fellini, she shines as Gelsomina in La Strada, the film that launched them both to international stardom.

  Gelsomina is sold by her mother into the employ of Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), a brutal strongman in a traveling circus. When Zampanò encounters an old rival, the highwire artist the Fool (Richard Basehart), his fury reaches its breaking point.

  With La Strada, Fellini moves beyond the familiar territory of Italian neorealism, crafting a poetic fable of love, cruelty, and human vulnerability. The film showcases brilliant performances that continue to captivate audiences and critics alike.

  A groundbreaking masterpiece of world cinema, La Strada remains one of the most influential films of all time, earning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

  
  

  Cineforum is back—now in a new location with a screening room!

  Don’t miss the chance to experience this Cinema Masterpiece on the big screen.

  New 4K Digital Restoration – Italian with English subtitles

  Event Details
  6:00 p.m. – Aperitivo
  6:30 p.m. – Movie Screening
  FilmNorth, 2441 University Ave W, Suite 100, Saint Paul, MN 55114

  For parking information click here.

  Space is limited to just 50 seats; once they’re gone, they’re gone.

  Reserve yours today!

  Curated and presented by Ileana Tamberlani, Programming and Administrative Manager of the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul.

  Show details