Italian Film Festival 2026 at State Cinemas Nelson
A note from the Artistic Director, Paolo Rotondo
It is impossible to be alive today and not notice the profound divisions that run through our societies. Events feel increasingly extreme, polarising us into opposing camps. It has become easier to issue swift judgments about good and bad, right and wrong, who is virtuous and who is guilty, than to pause and examine the complex circumstances. In an instant, we dismiss nuance, overlook context, and ignore the vast grey area in which real life truly exists.
Art can be an antidote to this division. Cinema, in particular, may be one of the greatest art forms we possess. Built on storytelling—the oldest and most powerful form of human communication—cinema is a magical amalgamation of literature, photography, performance, science, creativity, discipline and passion. Its ultimate gift is empathy. Through film, we are invited into lives that are not our own. We may laugh, cry, ache with, feel exasperated by or be inspired by people of different ages, genders, cultures and experiences—people different from ourselves. It feels deeply necessary today.
Italian cinema has never shied away from life’s mysteries and contradictions. Yet it confronts them with humour, intelligence and unmistakable artistry and style—and, ultimately, with hope.
Finché c’è cinema, c’è speranza. As long as there is cinema, there is hope.
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