Pioneer's Choice: Italian Short Films – 2025
Every December, Pioneer returns with the best Italian short films — this year's screening features seven films of all kinds, including feature films, documentaries and animations. The screenings will take place as part of the Pioneer's Choice international festival with two screenings on December 13th and 14th. Pioneer curator Viktor Prokofiev will give an introductory speech, and the authors of some of the films will record video greetings for Russian viewers.
If you’re studying Italian, attending a festival of Italian short films is basically a cheat code for levelling up your language skills and having a great time.
First, short films are incredibly accessible. They’re usually only a few minutes long, which means you can focus on the language without feeling overwhelmed. You’ll hear real, everyday Italian: from slangy conversations to regional accents. It’s the closest you can get to eavesdropping in an Italian café without actually buying a plane ticket.
Second, films give you cultural context. You’ll see what Italians joke about, worry about, celebrate and question. Understanding culture is a huge part of understanding a language, and short films pack a surprising amount of depth into a small space. Moreover, they often tackle fresh, creative topics that resonate with young audiences.
And finally, festivals are social. You’ll meet other learners, chat with filmmakers or presenters, and get comfortable discussing ideas in Italian.
This year's programme includes the following films:
1. Ten Seconds / Dieci secondi (directed by Roberta Palmieri)
A participant of the 40th Turin International Film Festival tells a story of a little girl playing hide-and-seek with her family. When she leaves her hiding place, nothing is the same as before. The film touches upon the topics of loss and how everything can completely change in a couple of moments.
2. Night / La notte (directed by Martina Generali, Simone Pratola and Francesca Sofia Rosso)
This animated short film is based on the concert “La Notte” by Antonio Vivaldi. The story is set in Venice during the carnival in Venice when Pulcinella attempts to slip into a VIP party, without too much success, then his dream of the rich and famous will turn into a nightmare which makes him to change his worldview. The film won the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
3. Fiorellina (directed by Giorgia Ciraolo)
This warm-hearted documentary, shown at the Giornate degli Autori forum adjacent to the Venice Film Festival, is dedicated to Fiorellina who is a 71-year-old vendor of soft drinks and sweets at the local beach, beloved by children and other vendors alike. As her daily routine unfolds, a subtle melancholy becomes apparent.
4. Ainko (directed by Simona Palmieri)
Manolo is a friendly newspaper stand worker on Via Roen, and that is how he is known in the neighbourhood. Behind the daily visits of elderly people to his shop lie stories of pain and loneliness.
5. Cimino Returns / Il cimino torna su (directed by Samuele Brambilla)
The golden age of Italian smuggling in Lariano. Former enemies — two carabinieri and a bootlegger — travel along the Swiss border to reach the ghost town of Erbon. There, they must erect a monument to a local legend.
6. Love and Chewing Gum (directed by Arianna Di Stefano)
Riccardo is 13 years old and in love with the most beautiful girl in school. Will he manage to get his first kiss? A funny story about budding feelings, growing up and first love set in the 1990s.
7. Sweet Waters / Dolci acque (directed by Luca Grazioli)
Renzo and Monica spend the summer at her family's villa on Lake Garda and build their relationship through delicate gestures and photographs.
All films are shown in Italian with Russian subtitles. The programme has been prepared and provided by the Italian Cultural Institute in Moscow.
Don’t miss the festival if you want to sharpen your listening skills, expand your vocabulary, and dive into contemporary Italian culture! It’s Italian class, but way more fun.
When: December 13th at 19:30 and December 14th at 16:00
Where: Pioneer Cinema, Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 21
Price: 850 rub
Shared by
Arina Mulikaeva
