Festivals

October is packed with major events for Minerva Pictures, with significant participation in the top international film festivals and markets.

We begin with the Sitges Film Festival, the world’s leading event for fantasy and genre films, held in Spain from October 5 to 13. Among the Special Screenings is The American Backyard, the latest gothic noir film by Pupi Avati, based on his novel of the same name, featuring Filippo Scotti and Rita Tushingham, which received enthusiastic acclaim as the closing film of the Venice Film Festival. Produced by Minerva Pictures and DueA Film in collaboration with Rai Cinema, L’orto americano will be released in theaters in 2025, distributed by 01 Distribution. In the Brigadoon section, dedicated to underground and cult cinema, Monster on a Plane by Ezra Tsegaye will be presented, a film blending horror and comedy in a chaotic adventure on a flight plagued by terrifying creatures.

This week, we will also be attending the BFI London Film Festival, a prestigious event organized in collaboration with the British Film Institute, which annually celebrates the best in international cinema. This occasion offers our acquisitions and production team the opportunity to meet top talent and explore new creative prospects, including through the new Italy-UK Cinematic Bridge initiative, sponsored by Cinecittà and the DGCA of the MiC.

From October 14 to 18, we will be at the MIA – Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo in Rome, where on October 16th’s Comin’ Up, we will showcase some of our upcoming releases: Judas’ Gospel by Giulio Base and the documentary Our Magnificent Obsession by Marco Spagnoli, celebrating the extraordinary career of Bernardo Bertolucci and his collaboration with a group of young talents who shaped cinema history. During MIA, we will also be present at the CNA pavilion with our international sales, acquisitions, production, and digital distribution teams.

Our international activities continue with the Marché International du Film Classique in Lyon (October 15-18), where on October 15, at the Rendez-Vous Des Cataloguistes, we will present a showreel featuring our 2024-2025 restoration slate, including The Cannibals (1970) by Liliana Cavani, and two of the last works by Mario Monicelli: Looking for Paradise (1995) and Dirty Linen (1999). We will also be present with our stand at the MIFC Village at the Institut Lumière, with our Sales, Library, and Acquisition teams.

At the Rome Film Festival (October 16-27), Minerva Pictures will present five major titles in competition: Miss Fallaci, the highly anticipated series directed by Luca Ribuoli, Giacomo Martelli, and Alessandra Gonnella, focusing on an unknown period in the life of Oriana Fallaci, played by Miriam Leone; Reading Lolita in Tehran, the new film by Eran Riklis, based on the international bestseller by Azar Nafisi; Ciao bambino, the directorial debut of Edgardo Pistone; and the 4K restorations of two great classics: The Seduction of Mimi (1972) by Lina Wertmüller, featuring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato, and Borsalino (1970), a cult French cinema polar by Jacques Deray, starring Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Once again this year, our Sales, Acquisitions, Digital, and Production teams will be present at MIPCOM in Cannes (October 21-24). Here, we will present the key titles from our TV catalog, including the documentary Gianni Versace – Emperor Of Dreams by Mimmo Calopresti, along with new additions to our library. It will be an essential opportunity to discuss new productions and distributions in the fields of production, digital distribution, and television.

From October 28 to November 1, we will be at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, where we will explore new opportunities for co-production and acquisition in one of the most dynamic Asian markets, while at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 8-24), our international sales team will present two titles in competition: Ciao bambino by Edgardo Pistone and Io e il secco by Gianluca Santoni.

Finally, we will close the month with our regular appointment at the American Film Market in Las Vegas (November 5-10), one of the most important film markets in the world, where we will be engaged with our stand dedicated to sales, acquisitions, and production.

Lastly, it is worth noting the excellent festival journey of Pupi Avati’s The American Backyard, which after being presented at Venice 81, has been selected for the Festival do Rio (October 3-13) and the Sitges Film Festival (October 5-13), confirming the international interest in this extraordinary work.