MEDFILM FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK — 1st EDITION // THE CINEMA OF THE MEDITERRANEAN IN NEW YORK
16–18 APRIL 2026 // Italian Cultural Institute of New York
The MedFilm Festival arrives in New York for the first time with a programme dedicated to the cinema and cultures of the Mediterranean. Hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, the initiative launches the first international spin-off of the Rome-based festival, which for 32 years has promoted contemporary Euro-Mediterranean cinema. The festival’s international programme for 2026 will then continue with further editions in Tunisia and Morocco.
The New York edition is conceived as a space for screenings, encounters, and dialogue through cinema, presenting a selection of works capable of reflecting the cultural plurality of the Mediterranean and its many connections with Europe. The programme brings together established filmmakers and emerging talents, with a focus on contemporary languages and the ongoing transformations of the region’s film industries.
Directed by Ginella Vocca and organized in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in New York, the festival presents nine titles from Italy, Turkey, Algeria, Lebanon, Tunisia, and France, co-produced with Greece, Croatia, Spain, Qatar, Germany, and the Netherlands. The selection, curated by Alessandro Zoppo, gathers some of the most representative works from the festival’s recent editions.
Opening the programme is Burning Days by Emin Alper, a political thriller centred on power, justice, and social conflict. The film follows a young magistrate drawn into a network of corruption and violence in a provincial town, shaping a reflection on individual and collective responsibility.
Among the featured titles is My Father’s Diaries by Ado Hasanović, a work that intertwines personal memory and European history through footage filmed by the director’s father during the years of Srebrenica. An intimate yet historical narrative, the film reflects on testimony, loss, and the transmission of memory, focusing on one of the darkest chapters in recent European history. The screening will be accompanied by the presence of the director, who will meet the audience after the film.
Closing the feature film section is The Last Queen (La dernière reine) by Adila Bendimerad and Damien Ounouri, presented as a United States premiere. Set in 16th-century Algeria, the film brings to the screen the figure of Queen Zaphira and explores themes of identity, resistance, and sovereignty, intertwining history and imagination in a major production of strong visual impact.
Alongside the feature films, the festival presents a selection of six short films from across the Mediterranean. Representing Italy are Restare by Fabio Bobbio, Le prime volte by Giulia Cosentino and Perla Sardella, and Case cadute by Gianluca Abbate.
The international short film selection includes The Voice of Others (La Voix des autres) by Fatima Kaci, Warsha by Dania Bdeir, and On the Edge (Bord à bord) by Sahar El Echi, works that reflect the diversity of perspectives, sensibilities, and narrative forms shaping contemporary Mediterranean cinema, addressing themes related to identity, social transformations, and the destinies of the region’s cities.
MedFilm Festival in New York confirms the festival’s vocation to create opportunities for exchange between cultures, audiences, and different cinematographies, strengthening through cinema an international dialogue based on mutual knowledge and the circulation of works.
The visual identity of the event is created by Gianluca Abbate.
MedFilm Festival in New York is organized by the Methexis Association in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in New York. Partners: Atomic Production, M Social Hotel New York Times Square. Press Office: Reggi&Spizzichino.
