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The sixth day of the #GiffoniFilmFestival takes us on a journey through identity, growth, and the search for belonging, thanks to a rich program of competition films that span ages, cultures, and genres all united by a powerful common thread: the discovery of self through encounters with others, with one’s roots, or with the past.
In the Truffaut Hall at 10:00 AM, the competition film “Isle Child” by Thomas Percy Kim (South Korea/USA, 2025, 92’) opens the day for the Generator +16 section with a profound reflection on cultural identity. The protagonist, Si Miller, an adopted teenager raised in the heart of America, is forced to confront his South Korean heritage and a birth mother he didn’t know he longed for. One phone call changes everything and with it, his perception of himself.
Also in Truffaut Hall at 2:30 PM, for the Generator +13 section, “Slackers” by German director Sorina Gajewski (Germany, 2025, 75’) takes center stage. Here, adolescence becomes both escape and resistance: Ramona and Nico, disillusioned and apathetic friends, wander through Berlin on foot in a kind of urban road movie that confronts them with the social and political realities they’ve tried to ignore. A story about friendship, hope, and a generation on the edge.
Shifting in perspective and tone but not in theme, the Parental Experience takes place in Galileo Hall at 10:00 AM with “Ciao bambino” by Edgardo Pistone (Italy, 2024, 95’). Nineteen-year-old Attilio lives in a working-class neighborhood in Naples and finds himself torn between his love for a young sex worker and loyalty to a father newly released from prison. A harsh coming-of-age trial that shakes his innocence and sense of justice.
At 4:00 PM in Galileo Hall, the focus shifts to collective storytelling with the Gex Doc screening of “My Sweet Land” by Sareen Hairabedian (USA/France/Jordan/Ireland, 2024, 86’), a poetic and painful documentary set in the mountains of the Caucasus. Eleven-year-old Vrej grows up between childish dreams and a war that destroys his world. Exile, return, loss of innocence: a universal story about the resilience of a people and a child.
For the older teens in the Generator +18 section, in Sala Blu at 10:00 AM, “Omaha” by Cole Webley (USA, 2024, 83’) brings #jurors into the heart of an America ravaged by the 2008 economic crisis. A father on the run, two children in tow, and a journey that promises salvation but hides pain. A film that explores the meaning of hope when the adult world collapses seen through the eyes of the young.
For the youngest viewers (and not only them), there will be a double screening at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM in Lumière Hall of the competition film in the Elements +6 section: “My Penguin Friend” by David Schurmann (Brazil/USA, 2024, 97’). A true, emotional, and tender story about an unlikely friendship between a Brazilian fisherman and a penguin. A tale of love, gratitude, and a deep connection to nature.
Still geared toward a young audience, but a bit older, “Honey” by Natasha Arthy (Denmark, 2024, 97’) will be shown at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM in the Alberto Sordi Hall for the ELEMENTS +10 section. It tells the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who hides behind her fears but, through a journey to find a grandfather believed to be dead and maybe through a band, finds the courage to express herself and be seen for who she truly is.
Finally, the day ends with a touch of magic and animation: at 7:00 PM in Lumière Hall, the short films in competition for Elements +3 will be screened. From acrobatic frog dances to the culinary dreams of a poisonous mushroom, from a hedgehog’s determination to adventures with chickens, capybaras, and piglets living in a monastery plus the antics of mischievous parrots each story features small protagonists in search of their place in the world.
Screenings include: A PAIN IN THE BUTT by Elena Walf (Germany, 2025, 5′ 40”) ; ABOVE THE TAMARIND TREE by Buthyna Al-Mohammadi (Qatar, 2024, 7′ 44”) ; AMEN by Coutier Orphée, Demarty Bettina, Maingonnat Kimié, Perego Laurène, Poulain Louise, Zundel Avril (France, 2024, 6’46”) ; BOBEL’S KITCHEN by Fiona Rolland (Belgium, 2024, 10’25”) ; CAPYBARAS by Alfredo Soderguit (France, 2024, 10’30”) ;
THE CARP AND THE CHILD by Morgane Simon, Arnaud Demuynck (France, 2024, 6’50”) ; DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH. POLKA by Tatyana Musalyamova (Russia, 2024, 2’01”).
All screenings are open to the public while seats last, with priority given to the indicated categories. Emotions will be plentiful. At #Giffoni55, cinema once again becomes the mirror in which we see ourselves more clearly and discover who we truly are.