Italy is calling!
In collaboration with the Noci Film Festival and Cal Poly, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival presents “From Puglia with Love: New Voices in Italian Cinema,” the first edition of a new annual Italian mini-festival.
The one-evening event features screenings of five short films by young Italian directors, along with an in-person Q&A with four of the filmmakers and two members of the Noci Film Festival team.
A serving of light bites and drinks are provided by Café Roma during the mini-fest, which takes place on November 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.
“We are very excited to host Italian filmmakers and showcase their work in San Luis Obispo,” according to SLOIFF executive director Skye McLennan.
In July, McLennan and Cal Poly instructor Randi Barros and two Cal Poly film students traveled with an American delegation to the Noci Film Festival in the Puglia region as part of a program funded by the Italian government to promote Italian cinema and support exchange between Italian and California filmmakers and festival professionals.
“Partnerships like these bring our world and communities closer together and highlight the power of storytelling and connection,” McLennan says.
The November 10 event is part of a collaboration between the Noci Film Fest, SLO International Film Festival, San Diego Italian Film Festival, Cal Poly, and UC San Diego. It was initiated and coordinated by Cal Poly Italian intructor Teresiana Matarrese.