Purchase your ticket now and watch on Thursday, February 25 starting at 12:00PM. You must complete your viewing by 12:00PM on Friday, February 26. Reservations end at 9:00AM on February 26.
Access to the 2021 Italian Film Festival is geo-restricted to viewers in Minnesota and a MN billing address is required to purchase a ticket.
Click for instructions on how to watch
Cast Your Vote for the 2021 Italian Film Festival Audience Awards! You can Vote for all of the films you've purchased HERE. Voting concludes at the end of the festival.
MINNESOTA PREMIERE – Opening Movie, exclusively available on February 25, all day!
"With a star director, a powerful ensemble cast, a great location and a compelling if overstuffed story, The Best Years is a strong start to the 12th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis/St. Paul (IFF). It’s deliciously watchable and will leave you wanting more Italian films." —Pamela Espeland, MinnPost
Italy, 1980. Three 16-year-old idealists, Paolo, Giulio and Riccardo, share everything like brothers. Along with them is Gemma, Paolo’s girlfriend, who quickly becomes a full part of their lives. But life catches up with them and the young friends embark on different paths. Paolo (Kim Rossi Stuart) graduates with a degree in literature, Giulio (PierfrancescoFavino) becomes a successful lawyer, and Riccardo (Claudio Santamaria) bounces from one job to the next, from failed actor to wannabe journalist. Gemma (Micaela Ramazzotti) leaves Rome for Naples where she struggles to make ends meet, only to return a few years later. As years go by, the four friends reconnect and lose touch over and over, while struggling with their hopes, disillusionments, successes, failures and the passage of time.
Director
Gabriele Muccino (Rome, 1967) is an acclaimed director, writer and producer and one of the few Italian film directors who has been successful in creating a niche for himself in Hollywood where he has directed The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and Seven Pounds (2008), two films with Will Smith. But international acclaim came years before his American experience with L'ultimo bacio (2001), one of the greatest box office successes in Italy of all time, that earned him Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Donatello awards as well as the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Festival, introducing Muccino's work to the United States. Muccino's next film was even more successful. Starring Monica Belluci, Ricordati di me (2003) won Best Director, Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Donatello Awards. IFF is thrilled to bring Gli anni più belli, his latest movie, to Minnesota.
A TAVOLA! A recipe curated for you to pair with this film
Enhance your cinematic experience by pairing this film with spaghettí alla carbonara, a delicious recipe exclusively curated by Romina Montanari, Food & Wine Manager, The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis / St. Paul.
This Screening is Sponsored by:
Italian Film Fest is Sponsored by:
Produttore di Elite
Produttore Esecutivo
Assistente di produzione
Regista
Aiuto Regista
Screening as part of:
