After the success of the last three editions, the Italian Comedy Festival, directed by actor Gianfranco Terrin, is back. It’s a unique event, created to bring Italian comedy to Hollywood, bringing together tradition and new voices.
The patroness of the 2025 edition will be actress Marina Suma, who will be in Los Angeles to accompany the audience in this new edition and represent the deep bond between Italian cinema and the City of Angels, as well as to represent the film in competition in which she stars, Amici per caso by Max Nardari, premiering in Los Angeles. In addition to Nardari’s film, the Cinema section features Anxious, directed by and starring Nida Chowdhry; Arthur’s Whisky by Stephen Cookson, with Diane Keaton, Patricia Hodge, and Boy George; and Una vita da sogno – L’Abbaglio by Alessandra Cardone, with Andrea Simonetti, Denise Tantucci, and Christopher Backus, also premiering in the US. The selection of short films is wide-ranging and international, spanning from Italy to the United States, Spain, France, and Switzerland. There is also a stand-up comedy special, Mandee McKelvey’s CLAM directed by Divinity Rose, and two documentaries: Adidas Owns the Reality by Keil Orion Troisi and Igor Vamos, and Una risata ci salverà by Michelangelo Gregori.
The Festival also dedicates space to theater, with the “Comedy Beyond Borders” Award given to the show Tutti bene ma non benissimo (Everyone’s Fine, But Not Great), written, directed, and performed by Daniele Vagnozzi, produced by Marche Teatro in collaboration with Sparta Production and Compagnia Caterpillar, in its American premiere.
Among the special events is the masterclass “Mastering the American Accent” with dialect coach Esther Caporale.
The common thread of the Festival remains the “Comedy Beyond Borders” Award, which will be given to the winners of each category—feature films, short films, documentaries, theater, and stand-up comedy—to those works that, through comedy, are able to tell stories that speak to an international audience, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers and stimulating dialogue across borders
Three days of cinema, theater, meetings, and laughter, once again bringing some of the best Italian and international independent comedies to Los Angeles.
INFORMATION
October 6 – 8
📍THE LEE STRASBERG CREATIVE CENTER
7936 Santa Monica Boulevard West Hollywood, CA 90046