Cinema Italian Style: Familia
November 13, 2025
A harrowing, white-knuckle family portrait and meditation on the terrible appeal of political extremism.
SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for this screening.
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Thursday, November 13, 2025
Based on an autobiographical account, this moving story centers on Gigi, a young man struggling to escape the shadow of violence that defined his childhood and threatens to doom his family’s future. In early 2000s Rome, Gigi lives with his brother and mother far from his violently abusive father, who has been imprisoned for nearly ten years. Tormented by feelings of pain and anger, Gigi finds refuge in a local fascist gang where his rage is accepted and encouraged. When his father reappears after being released from prison, the cycle of abuse, fear and anger resumes, exposing how Gigi and his family have been betrayed by the system supposedly meant to protect them. Gigi must navigate a difficult path forward, doing his best to protect his loved ones while avoiding a destiny in which he follows in his father’s footsteps. Through strong acting and well-crafted cinematography and sound design, this film captures the oppressive tension and conflicting emotions existing within a fractured family, and conveys a sense of empathy and compassion for the characters. There are no easy solutions for Gigi, and he must decide what kind of man he wants to be. “Familia” premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Best Actor prize for Francesco Gheghi’s performance of Gigi.
- Director: Francesco Costabile
- Principal Cast: Francesco Gheghi, Barbara Ronchi, Francesco Di Leva, Marco Cicalese, Francesco De Lucia, Stefano Valentini
- Country: Italy
- Year: 2024
- Running Time: 120 min.
- Producer: Attilio de Razza, Nicola Picone, Nicola Giuliano, Pierpaolo VergaPicone
- Screenplay: Francesco Costabile, Vittorio Moroni, Adriano Chiarelli
- Cinematographers: Giuseppe Maio
- Editors: Cristiano Travaglioli
- Music: Valerio Vigliar
- Awards: Venice Film Festival 2024 (Best Actor-Horizons), Official Oscar Submission 2026 (Best International Feature)
- Language: Italian
- Has Subtitles: Yes