The Italian Film Festival (Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt) is back for its 49th edition, bringing the magic of Italian cinema to the border region across France and Luxembourg this autumn.
Attracting over 40,000 visitors each year, this highly anticipated event celebrates the rich cultural contributions of the Italian community, which is deeply rooted in the history of Italian immigration across the Lorraine and Luxembourg regions. Across 17 days, six venues in four border towns: Villerupt, Audun-le-Tiche, Dudelange, and Esch-sur-Alzette will host 70 films and more than 250 screenings.
Programme Highlights
Retrospective: « My Father, That Hero… (?) »
A thematic selection of about ten films explores the evolving image of the father figure in Italian cinema—spanning from post-war authority to complex, modern portrayals. Highlights range from Vittorio De Sica’s classic Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves, 1948) to Francesca Comencini’s Il tempo che ci vuole (2024).
Tribute to Monica Vitti
The 2026 edition pays tribute to legendary actress Monica Vitti (1931–2022). Festivalgoers will have the chance to rediscover her iconic roles in Michelangelo Antonioni’s famous tetralogy on incommunicability (L’avventura, La Notte, L’Eclisse, Red Desert), as well as her brilliant comedy work in Mario Monicelli’s The Girl with the Pistol (1968) and Ettore Scola’s The Pizza Triangle (1970).
Information
Dates: October 23 – November 8, 2026
Language: All films are screened in their original language with French subtitles (VOSTF) unless otherwise noted.
The Esch venue of the Festival is at: Kulturfabrik, Kinosch cinema, 116 rue de Luxembourg.
The complete screening schedule will be released on the festival website starting October 15th, 2026. https://festival-villerupt.com/
