N.I.C.E. with Apriti CinemaJuly, 19th-25th 2025 — 21:45Piazza Pitti, Florence
IT’S N.I.C.E TO BE IN FLORENCE!
The festival is organized as part of Apriti Cinema, the open air film screenings that takes place every summer in the most beautiful locations in town.
35 YEARS OF N.I.C.E.
N.I.C.E. – New Italian Cinema Events was founded in 1991 and, for the past 35 years, has been bringing the best of new Italian cinema to audiences around the world. Over time, it has become an important reference point for showcasing emerging directors and independent productions, building a cultural bridge between Italy and many other countries.
In 2026, we celebrate this significant 35-year milestone, continuing to do what we do best: telling the story of contemporary Italian cinema and giving space to new talents.
It will be a moment to look back and retrace the history of the festival, but also to look ahead. The program will also feature screenings such as Feeling better by Valerio Mastandrea and The kidnapping of Arabella by Carolina Cavalli—perfect examples of the vibrant, original, and contemporary cinema that N.I.C.E. continues to support and bring to the world.
Viviana del Bianco — Artistic Director N.I.C.E. Festival
How to reach the arena
Once again, the summer arena is located in Piazza Pitti. To promote sustainable mobility, we encourage you to reach us on foot or by bike. The Piazza is only a twenty-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella station, offering a pleasant evening stroll through the streets of the city center. For those who prefer to use public transportation, the nearest bus stop is “Pitti” served by lines C3 and C4, or “Piazza San Felice,” served by line 11.
35 YEARS OF N.I.C.E.
Sunday, July 19th — 21:45
The screening will be preceded by the short film.
NON DIMENTICARE IL POETA by Fabrizio Fuochi — 4′ 30″
FEELING BETTER by Valerio Mastandrea — 93′
Free entry with no reservation required
Saturday, July 25th — 21:45
THE KIDNAPPING OF ARABELLA by Carolina Cavalli — 107′
Actors Marco Bonadei and Roberto Zibetti will be attending
Free entry with no reservation required
Italy, 2024 - Film Run: 93‘ - Drama
Feeling better
by Valerio Mastandrea
In a large hospital, patients in comas live a parallel existence, separated from their mortal bodies, able to interact with one another but not with others—patients, doctors, or visitors. The protagonist (who, like all the other characters, remains nameless) takes her condition in stride until a young woman, the victim of a car accident, is admitted in a comatose state.
Valerio Mastandrea is a Roman actor, director, and screenwriter, and one of the most acclaimed figures in contemporary Italian cinema. Known for his intense and authentic performances, he has starred in numerous successful films and has also made a name for himself behind the camera.
Feeling better is his second film as a director.
Italy, 2025 - Film Run: 107‘ Comedy
The kidnapping of Arabella
by Carolina Cavalli
Holly, twenty-eight, has always felt like the wrong version of herself and that her life hasn’t turned out as expected. When she meets a little girl named Arabella, she becomes convinced the child is her younger self. Eager to run away from home, Arabella decides to play along with Holly’s mission: to go back and become someone special.
Carolina Cavalli is an Italian writer-director from Milan. Her debut feature Amanda premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022 and at the Toronto International Film Festival on the same year. She is recipient of the San Francisco Film Society Rainin Grant as co-writer of the feature film Fremont (director, Babak Jalali) which made its world premiere at Sundance Festival 2023 and Karlovy Vary. Fremont won the John Cassavetes award at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2024. Her sophomore feature, The Kidnapping of Arabella premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival where it won the award for Best Actress. It premiered internationally at the BFI London Film Festival and will be soon released in US. Her first novel Metropolitania was published in 2022.