Palace Electric Canberra
16 September to 14 October 2026
Also in Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Byron Bay and Ballina
This year’s festival opens with Holy Cannoli, an Italian, box office hit which uses comedy to expose the contradictions of contemporary Italian life seen through the eyes of a soul-searching, sweet-toothed sceptic.
Based on the novel of the same name by Pif, it stars Pif, Giusy Buscemi, Francesco Scianna, Carlos Hipolito, Maurizio Marchetti and with the special participation of Domenico Centamore.
The 2026 Festival Special Presentation is bittersweet romantic drama Three Goodbyes Tre ciotole), based on the bestselling novel by Michela Murgia. When a couple (played by Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano) split up after what seems like a trivial argument, their lives change dramatically.
Life is Life is inspired by a true David and Goliath story and is set in Sardinia. It involves a real estate battle between a solitary shepherd and a powerful real estate group.
Sweetheart is about Nico, a young boy who discovers ancient mysteries, love and superstition when he is sent to spend his summer holidays with an aunt in Sicily.
Separate Beds was a box office smash hit in Italy, a romantic comedy involving two very different protagonists starring Edoardo Leo and Claudia Pandolfi.
The full program is available at https://italianfilmfestival.com.au
For Palace Electric Canberra: https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/festivals