• Our film schedule for the year

    Our Programs

    Our film schedule for the year

  • Audience watching a screening, with the text "Now Screening Monthly Series" overlaid in red and white.

    20th Annual feStivale

    Join us celebrating 20 Years of Italian Cinema

  • Hand holding a set of metal pizza oven molds, with a red sign attached that says 'The Golden Ristretto' and a small Italian flag image, against a plain background.

    Shorts Competition

    Learn more about our Ristretto Competition

Not just Italian films – an Italian perspective

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Not just Italian films – an Italian perspective 〰️

Our Organization

For the past 20 years, the San Diego Italian Film Festival has taken you to virtual journeys along with our protagonists, experiencing the passion, love, comedy, despair, and hope of life. We have learned about Italian film from scholars and directors whose insightful introductions and lectures help us understand why these movies speak to us and continue to influence filmmaking throughout the world.

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People dining at outdoor tables with umbrellas in a busy piazza. The background features a historic building with arched windows and a green dome, and a clock tower with flags flying nearby.

News & Events

News & Events
Antonio Iannotta Honored with ICC’s Arts & Letters Rinascimento Award
News, Awards
Antonio Iannotta Honored with ICC’s Arts & Letters Rinascimento Award
News, Awards

At the ICC Rinascimento Gala celebrating 45 years of the Italian Cultural Center of San Diego (ICC), our Artistic Director Antonio Iannotta received the Arts & Letters Rinascimento Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the cultural life of the Italian American community in San Diego.

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News, Awards
SDIFF Presents: Women & the Arts
SDIFF Presents: Women & the Arts

SDIFF invites you to an evening dedicated to Women & the Arts. We’ll start with a panel discussion about the relationship between American and Italian cinema, theatre, and the broader arts, with a special focus on the role of women. 

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The San Diego Italian Film Festival Announces New Board Co-Chairs
News
The San Diego Italian Film Festival Announces New Board Co-Chairs
News

As SDIFF looks ahead to its 20th anniversary in 2026, the Festival is pleased to announce Stefania Bruschi and Fabrizio Scippa as its new Board Co-Chairs, stepping into shared leadership to guide the organization into its next chapter.

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News
The San Diego Italian Film Festival Welcomes Valentina Cartareggia as New Executive Director
News
The San Diego Italian Film Festival Welcomes Valentina Cartareggia as New Executive Director
News

As it works to expand its programming and reach, the San Diego Italian Film Festival (SDIFF) has hired Valentina Cartareggia as its new Executive Director. Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Cartareggia relocated to San Diego with her family in 2023.

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News
SDIFF Spotlighted Among the Best Film Festivals in San Diego
News
SDIFF Spotlighted Among the Best Film Festivals in San Diego
News

The San Diego Italian Film Festival, led by bold programmer Antonio Iannotta, was spotlighted among the best film festivals in San Diego by Beth Accomando, Arts & Culture Reporter at KPBS.

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News
Submissions Now Open for the 6th Annual SDIFF Ristretto Awards!
Ristretto, Short Competition
Submissions Now Open for the 6th Annual SDIFF Ristretto Awards!
Ristretto, Short Competition

The San Diego Italian Film Festival (SDIFF) announces the sixth annual SDIFF Ristretto Awards, dedicated to short narratives either by Italians or about Italian culture, Italian-American identity, or more broadly for the Italian community.

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Ristretto, Short Competition
San Diego Italian Film Festival presents feStivale 2024, with the Theme of CORE
Events, Festival
San Diego Italian Film Festival presents feStivale 2024, with the Theme of CORE
Events, Festival

The San Diego Italian Film Festival presents its 18th annual feStivale, a showcase of the best new Italian cinema with a series of premieres varying from dramas and comedies to documentaries. The theme of this year’s festival is Core, a play on words between the English meaning, and the Southern Italian word for Heart. 

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Events, Festival
A Letter from the SDIFF Team
News
A Letter from the SDIFF Team
News

Our hearts are full of sadness and grief as we announce the passing of the Founder, President and Executive Director of the San Diego Italian Film Festival, Victor Laruccia. 

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News

Our Instagram Community

View fullsize 🇮🇹 Don't miss our final Monthly Screening at La Paloma Theatre before we head into festival season! Join us on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 PM for Marcella, a fascinating documentary about the life and legacy of Marcella Hazan, the woman who transfor
View fullsize 🇮🇹 30 days remain to help us reach our $25,000 fundraising goal. Thanks to the generosity of Robert and Carrie Meadow, every donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000, doubling the impact of your gift. Join us in honoring Victor's
View fullsize Your donation can go twice as far. Thanks to the generosity of Robert and Carrie Meadow, every gift to the Victor Laruccia Legacy Fundraiser will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000. Help us continue bringing Italian cinema, culture, and com
View fullsize Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 PM at La Paloma Theatre for this breathtaking and deeply human film from director Maura Delpero, winner of the Silver Lion at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Set in a remote Alpine village during the final days of
View fullsize Twenty years ago, Victor Laruccia founded the San Diego Italian Film Festival with a simple but powerful vision: to bring the beauty and creativity of Italian cinema to San Diego and build a community around it. Tomorrow, we officially launch the Vi
View fullsize 🇮🇹 Join us tonight for Qui rido io (The King of Laughter) at Digital Gym CINEMA. Set in early 1900s Naples, this vibrant and captivating film follows legendary comic actor Eduardo Scarpetta as he navigates fame, family chaos, and Italy’s fir
View fullsize 🇮🇹 Only a few days until our Fundraiser Night at Forchettina! Join us on Wednesday, May 13 from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM for an evening of Italian food, wine, and community in support of SDIFF. Whether you stop by for dinner, a glass of wine, or an ape
View fullsize 🇮🇹 SDIFF Monthly Series Presents: Qui rido io (The King of Laughter) Join us on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 PM at Digital Gym CINEMA for this vibrant and captivating film set in the world of Italian theatre in early 1900s Naples. The film follows le
View fullsize 🇮🇹 Fundraiser Night at @forchettinasd! Join us on Wednesday, May 13 from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Encinitas for a special evening of Italian food, wine, and community in support of SDIFF. Enjoy dinner or stop by for a glass of wine and an aperitivo
View fullsize 🇮🇹 SDIFF Monthly Series Presents: Qui rido io (The King of Laughter) Join us on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 PM at Digital Gym CINEMA for this vibrant and captivating film that brings to life the world of Italian theatre at the turn of the 20th centur
View fullsize 🇮🇹 Join us on Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 PM at @lapalomatheatre for Il tempo che ci vuole (The Time It Takes), an intimate and deeply moving film by Francesca Comencini. The film reflects on her complex relationship with her father, legendary film
View fullsize 🇮🇹 Special screening this Wednesday Join us for Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence, a powerful documentary that brings to life the story of Italy’s first woman film director. Despite directing hundreds of films, Elvira Notari was largely erased f
View fullsize
View fullsize Join us this Thursday, March 26 at 7:00 PM at Digital Gym Cinema for Rapito, a historical drama by director Marco Bellocchio. đź—“ Thursday, March 26 đź•– 7:00 PM đź“Ť Digital Gym CINEMA Set in 1858 Bologna, the film tells the shocking true story of a yo
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