The Italian cinema festival in La Rochelle, France, is returning for the second year in a row, taking place from Friday, October 9, to Sunday, October 11. The event will be held at the CGR Dragon cinema, located on Cours des Dames, and is organized by the association CinEstatE. The festival will showcase ten Italian films, divided into three categories that reflect different aspects of Italian cinema. One of the highlights of the festival is the focus on Italian cuisine, with two films from the 1970s being shown: We Fell in Love So Much by Ettore Scola and Let's Have Dinner One Evening by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. These films explore the cultural and emotional significance of food in Italian life. The opening evening on October 9 will honor the legacy of actress Anna Magnani, a celebrated figure in Italian cinema who won an Academy Award in 1956. Three of her iconic films will be screened, including Rome, Open City by Roberto Rossellini, a landmark film from 1947 that is widely regarded as one of the most important works of the Italian neorealist movement. The final evening of the festival will spotlight contemporary Italian cinema, with two films being shown in advance of their wider release. These include The Temptation, a suspense drama directed by Nicolangelo Gelormini, and Creatures by Cécile Allegra, which follows the story of a street educator dealing with the challenges posed by the Neapolitan mafia. These films represent the evolving themes and styles of modern Italian cinema. Italian novelist Simonetta Greggio is covering the entire festival and serving as its honorary president. She is the author of Dolce Vita 1959-1979 (2010), a book that was shortlisted for the prestigious Renaudot prize in the same year. Her involvement adds a literary dimension to the festival, highlighting the deep connections between Italian cinema and its cultural context.