University of Richmond to Host Italian & French Film Festival
Inaugural festival brings landmark contemporary and historic films to Richmond
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — The University of Richmond will host the inaugural Italian and French Film Festival March 27-30.
Free and open to the public, the festival will be held at the University of Richmond at various locations on campus and at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown. Contemporary Italian and French films will be screened, including:
- Il Cerchio (Sophie Chiarello, 2022)
- Météors (Hubert Charuel, 2025)
- The Kingdom (Julien Colonna, 2024)
- Napoli–New York (Gabriele Salvatores, 2024)
- Fuori (Mario Martone, 2025)
- Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania, 2023)
- La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino, 2025)
“The films we’ve selected explore the experiences of children, young adults, and men and women at many stages of life,” said Anthony Russell, an English and Italian studies professor and co-organizer of the festival. “In that spirit, the festival is organized around the theme of ‘passages,’ since the films approach — from very different perspectives — the challenging life transitions we all must confront.”
The first day of the festival will include an opening reception featuring representatives from the Italian and French cultural institutes in Washington, D.C. A special 60th-anniversary screening of Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers (1966) will be held on Saturday, March 28, in the Ukrop Auditorium located in the Robins School of Business. Throughout, attendees can enjoy roundtable discussions with guest filmmakers and academics.
For the concluding event on March 30, the historic Byrd Theatre in Carytown will show Sirât (Oliver Laxe, 2025). A closing reception celebrating French and Italian cuisine will follow. Tickets to this free screening are available on Eventbrite.
“Cinema brings people together to share an experience,” said Sonja Bertucci, film studies professor and co-organizer of the festival. “We’re hoping this festival will do just that: gather Richmonders from all walks of life in one place, celebrate the city’s vitality and cultural opportunities, and strengthen the connection between the University of Richmond and the wider community by exposing them to two very rich artistic traditions.”
For more information, visit the Italian and French Film Festival website.
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