WORMS | VERMI

In the rural landscape of Friuli, northern Italy, twelve-year-old Rosi shoulders the weight of her fractured family after her father’s abandonment. Living with her two younger sisters, Emy and Mary, and their mother, who has spiraled into a deep depression, Rosi juggles household responsibilities, cares for her sisters, and faces bullying from local children who cruelly mimic the harshness of the adult world around them. To make ends meet, she sells worms to fishermen, while her mother clings to the hopeless dream of her husband’s return. Despite the overwhelming challenges, the strong bond between the sisters sustains them. When an unexpected act of kindness shifts Rosi’s perspective, her journey of self-discovery and resilience begins, marking her transition from innocence to a deeper understanding of the complexities of the world around her.

Category: Parental Experience Tag: Competition

Additional information
DIRECTOR BIO

Original Title	Vermi
Movie Type	Short Movie
Genre	Fiction
Section	Parental Experience
Country	Germany, Italy
Production Year	2025
Movie Length	19' 57''
Director	Domenico Distilo
Screenplay	Daniela Gambaro
Cast	Antonio De Matteo, Chiara Pazzaglia, Emy Tirel, Mary Tirel, Viola Akiko Fior
Director of Photography	Ferran Paredes Rubio
Editor	Andrea Maguolo
Production Designer	Miriam Ceravolo
Costume Designer	Gilda Venturini
Music	Stefano Guzzetti e Lilies on Mars
Produced by	Raffaello Vignoli
Production	Corego, Moon Jar Film
Festival Contact	Corego Film raphael@coregofilm.com

Domenico Distilo is a director and screenwriter. He graduated in directing from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. His graduation project UNEXPECTED premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2006, earning international acclaim.
He was awarded the prestigious Solinas Prize for his screenplay WHEN ELEPHANTS FIGHT. With the documentary MANGA DO: IGORT AND THE WAY OF MANGA, he won the Audience Award at the 2018 Bologna Biografilm Festival. Distilo has also directed numerous documentaries for Rai 3, including URBAN EXTREME JERUSALEM and THE MEMORY OF THINGS.
Domenico’s work spans from documentary filmmaking to “cinema del reale” (cinema of reality), aligning with a new wave of Italian filmmakers who emphasize the authenticity of their storytelling. He is dedicated to fictional stories, with a particular passion for narratives about teenagers, rooted in real-life experiences.