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“Ciao Bambino” Triumphs at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival After Success at the 19th Rome Film Fest

25 November 2024

After earning the Best First Film Award at the 19th Rome Film Fest, Ciao Bambino, the debut feature by Edgardo Pistone, also won the prestigious Special Jury Prize in the First Feature Competition section at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Set in Naples’ Rione Traiano district, the film tells the story of Attilio, a young man torn between love and loyalty to his father, recently released from prison and hounded by loan sharks. Presented in stark black-and-white, the film offers an intimate, realistic look at family complexities and the burden of paternal legacies, framed within a context of crime and despair.

The work has been praised for its bold narrative and visually striking approach, steering clear of sentimentality and stereotypes. This debut feature confirms Pistone’s artistic maturity. The cast includes Marco Adamo, Anastasia Kaletchuk, Pasquale Esposito, and Salvatore Pelliccia.

Produced by Bronx Film, Anemone Film, Mosaicon Film, and Minerva Pictures, with support from Italy’s Ministry of Culture and the Campania Region Film Commission, the film will soon hit theaters, distributed by FilmClub Distribution and Minerva Pictures.

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Minerva Pictures at Rome Film Festival: “Reading Lolita in Teheran” and “Ciao Bambino ” win critics and audiences!

7 November 2024

We are delighted to close the 19th Rome Film Festival with three prestigious awards for two films in which we strongly believed, showcasing our ongoing commitment to high-quality independent cinema and storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.

Leggere Lolita a Teheran directed by Eran Riklis and based on the bestselling novel by Azar Nafisi, received both the FS Audience Award for Best Film and the Jury’s Special Award for Best Cast. Director Eran Riklis and the cast accepted the awards, presented by the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri and actress Laetitia Casta.

Set in post-revolutionary Iran under Khomeini, the film tells the story of a university professor who defies the regime’s strict restrictions by organizing a clandestine literary circle. Through the reading of banned Western works like “Lolita,” a group of young women, led by a remarkable ensemble cast including Golshifteh Farahani, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, and Mina Kavani, rediscover the power of words and free expression as they strive for emancipation in a repressive society.

A co-production by Minerva Pictures, Rosamont, Eran Riklis Production, and Topia Communications, in collaboration with Rai Cinema, United King Films, and Westend Film. In theaters from November 21 with FilmClub Distribuzione and Minerva Pictures.

Ciao Bambino the debut film by Edgardo Pistone, won the Award for Best Debut Film. Director Edgardo Pistone accepted the award from director and screenwriter Francesca Comencini.

The film provides an authentic glimpse into contemporary Naples, following Attilio, a young man torn between following his heart and facing the debts left by his father.

Produced by Minerva Pictures, Bronx Film, Anemone Film, and Mosaicon Film, Ciao Bambino will soon be released in theaters by FilmClub Distribuzione and Minerva Pictures.

A heartfelt thank you to all our partners, directors, cast, and crew who made these works possible. Look for them in theaters – they’re not to be missed!