If 2024 was the year celebrating 140 years of diplomatic ties between Italy and Korea, 2025 has been named the Cultural Exchange Year between Korea and Italy. After the success of its Seoul debut, Italian Screens – New Italian Cinema returns stronger than ever. From November 1 to 4, Seoul’s Cinecube Gwanghwamun hosted the event’s second edition, inaugurated by Her Excellency Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea. Now, the showcase travels south to the Busan Cinema Center from November 13 to 16, extending its reach and affirming a shared vision between two nations that view culture as a form of dialogue.
How Italian Screens 2025 Turns Cinema into a Diplomatic Language
Born from an idea by Roberto Stabile of Cinecittà and supported by Italy’s Ministry of Culture (DGCA-MiC) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), Italian Screens stands at the intersection of creativity and diplomacy. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul and the Italian Trade Agency, is part of Italy’s broader effort to promote its contemporary audiovisual industry through the “Sistema Italia” framework, where culture, business, and innovation work hand in hand.
As Erika Sfascia, Deputy Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, explained, “The main goal of this second edition is to promote contemporary Italian cinema among Korean audiences and to strengthen audiovisual cooperation between Italy and Korea.” She highlighted that expanding the festival to Busan — one of Asia’s major film capitals — “doubles Italy’s presence in Korea and consolidates both cultural and industrial dialogue between our countries.”
Four Films, One Vision — Showcasing Italy’s Contemporary Creativity
This year’s selection included four acclaimed titles — FolleMente by Paolo Genovese, La Valle dei Sorrisi by Paolo Strippoli, Gioia Mia by Margherita Spampinato, and Familia by Francesco Costabile, Italy’s 2026 Oscar submission. Each film was chosen for its critical acclaim, international festival presence, and its reflection of Italy’s contemporary creative landscape.
“The response from the Korean audience was very positive. The screenings were sold out, and around 200 people attended additional showings. Industry professionals — producers, distributors, festival directors, and institutional representatives — joined as well, confirming the constant interest in Italian cinema.”
Erika Sfascia, Deputy Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul.
That enthusiasm is tangible. Following its Seoul screening, La Valle dei Sorrisi was picked up for Korean distribution — a real outcome of cultural cooperation that goes beyond celebration and into tangible industry connection.
Beyond Pop: Entertainment as Soft Power
The Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul maintains steady collaboration with major Korean cultural institutions and film festivals, including Venice in Seoul, Venice in Gwangju, the Ulju Mountain Film Festival, the DMZ Documentary Film Festival, and the Seongdong Diversity Film Festival. These partnerships, as Sfascia described, “strengthen Italy’s cultural presence in Korea through a system-based approach that values long-term exchange rather than one-off events.”
This spirit fits within a broader movement where entertainment — from cinema to K-pop — has become a global language. As both nations invest in creative industries as tools of connection and understanding, Italian Screens stands as proof that cultural diplomacy can be emotional, visual, and deeply human.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, the initiative aims to extend Italian Screens to new Korean cities and expand collaboration with local festivals, municipalities, and museums. “The goal,” said Sfascia, “is to support the presence of Italian films in Korean festivals and promote cinema as an integral part of the cultural dialogue between Italy and Korea.”
From Seoul’s packed theaters to Busan’s coastal energy, Italian Screens 2025 celebrates more than cinema — it celebrates a shared belief in storytelling as a bridge between worlds.
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