TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THE 2026 ST. ALI ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL!

We are thrilled to announce the full line up of the 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival, presented by Palace, the largest festival of Italian cinema in the world. Showcasing an incredible selection of new Italian cinema celebrating the country's language stories and culture, the festival includes works from contemporary Italian auteurs, documentaries, comedies, a retrospective focus on iconic Italian actor Anna Magnani, two very special guests and the premiere of a new Australian Italian co production. The festival is screening nationally at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova, Luna Cinemas and Cinema Nova from 16 September.

Opening the 2026 festival is the Palermo-set box office hit romantic comedy from Pierfrancesco 'Pif' Diliberto HOLY CANNOLI (Che Dio perdona a tutti), a story of love, faith and delicious pastries. We follow Arturo, a successful real estate agent (played by Pif) with a passion for desserts who falls for a charming, devoutly Catholic pastry chef, Flora.  

This year's Festival Centrepiece is the highly awarded SWEETHEART (Gioia mia). Claiming Best Actress and Best New Director at the 2026 David di Donatello Awards amongst other accolades, this enchanting drama follows a a young boy, Nico, who is sent to spend a summer in Sicily with his elderly aunt, played by beloved Italian actor Aurora Quattrocchi.

The 2026 Festival Special Presentation is the bittersweet THREE GOODBYES (Tre ciotole), based on the bestselling novel by Michela Murgia. When a couple (played by acclaimed actors Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano) split up after what seems like a trivial argument, their lives dramatically change in this emotional, ultimately life-affirming tale from award winning director Isabel Coixet. 

Closing the Festival and direct from this year's Venice International Film Festival is THE ECHO CHAMBER, directed by Andrea Pallaoro. Based on Bernardo Bertolucci's final screenplay, this love story where the boundaries between presence and absence, care and dependence and desire and control blur until they dissolve stars Alicia Vikander, Luca Marinelli (The Eight Mountains) and Susan Sarandon. 

 FESTIVAL DATES

ADELAIDE: 16 September - 13 October

CANBERRA: 16 September - 15 October

SYDNEY: 17 September - 14 October

BYRON BAY & BALLINA: 17 September - 14 October

MELBOURNE: 18 September - 15 October

BALLARAT: 18 September - 15 October

BRISBANE: 24 September - 18October

PERTH: 24 September - 18October