We are delighted to announce the 2025 grant recipients for the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF)! AGBO and the ISDA were amazed by the range and depth of this year’s applications and can’t wait to see this year’s grant recipients stories come to life. ST. JOSEPH directed by Maky Rupert, LUIGI LOOKALIKE directed by Luke Salvat...

Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna, the star of CABRINI, visited Cleveland’s Italian American community for a special screening of the acclaimed film, followed by a Q&A and meet-and-greet with audience members. The event, held at a packed Cedar Lee Theatre on April 12, was co-hosted by ISDA President Basil Russo and Italian Consul Allegra Baistroc...

Like everyone else who remembers him, I loved character actor Vincent Gardenia (Vincenzo Scognamiglio, 1920-1992) — but it wasn’t until I learned about his early years that I got super jazzed about doing a post on him, for his old-school roots indeed tie him to the themes of this blog. Gardenia was born in Naples, where his father Gennaro Gardenia...

If we think of Italian music and cinema, thoughts go immediately to two names: Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota, who composed some of the most incredible and world-known soundtracks in the history of the Seventh Art. It is right to say, then, that Italian music has long had a significant role in international cinema, but not only through the works of...

Westchester County is a hub for film lovers. Not only is it home to a number of independent movie houses, but it’s also a top spot for filming noteworthy movies and TV shows. This month, local film aficionados have one more reason to get excited in the 914. Taking place over the weekend of April 25-27, the Westchester Italian Film Festival will be...

Last semester saw the first few meetings of the Italian Film Club, a new student organization that meets every other Wednesday to view and discuss Italian cinema and television from across various decades. The club was brought about by Quin McGlame ‘25 and Teddy Salamone ‘27, both of whom had taken classes taught by the professor who would be broug...

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò is spotlighting inclusion and overlooked history this April with two programs that, while different in form, share a common aim: bringing marginalized voices to the fore. The first event, on Monday, April 14, is a film screening with a twist. Dino Risi’s Il giovedì (1963), a quiet gem featuring Walter Chiari in one of h...

A rediscovered son. That's how Villanova del Battista in Irpinia, Campania, welcomed Ralph Macchio, who became a global icon with his role as Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid, and whose paternal great-grandparents were originally from this small town. “It’s incredibly moving for me to walk through the streets where my family originated. I exis...

We are thrilled to announce that CINEMA ITALY Miami returns in three weeks — marking its 21st edition with a powerful lineup of ten brand-new, award-winning films! Mark your calendars and join us for four days of inspiring stories and the undeniable charm of Italian cinema: Friday, April 25 – Monday, April 28, 2025 at the O Cinema Miami Beach. A sp...

The Electric State — a sci-fi adventure starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt and Stanley Tucci, and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (The Russo Brothers) — is set in an alternate 1990s following a robot rebellion. Within just 10 days of its March 14 release, the film had been viewed on 50 million Netflix accounts and reached the No. 1 spot in...