Warm up your winter with Italian film and fashion in Prague—starting today

The 12th edition of MittelCinemaFest, Prague’s premier festival dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema, will be held at Lucerna Cinema from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4.

The festival features eight films, including works by renowned directors Paolo Sorrentino and Daniele Luchetti, and offers a diverse lineup of drama, thriller, and musical films. Highlights include opening night with Francesca Comencini’s Il Tempo Che Ci Vuole, Margherita Vicario’s debut Gloria!, and the festival’s closing films: Sorrentino’s Parthenope and Pupi Avati’s L'Orto Americano.

In addition, an Italian fashion exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute in Malá Strana runs through Jan. 18.

Opening night on Nov. 28 will present Il Tempo Che Ci Vuole (The Time It Takes) by Francesca Comencini, a heartfelt tribute to her father, filmmaker Luigi Comencini. On Nov. 29, Daniele Luchetti’s Confidenza (Trust) will explore complex human relationships in a gripping thriller based on the works of author Domenico Starnone.

On Saturday, Nov. 30, there will be a double feature. At 6:30 p.m., Marco Tullio Giordana’s La Vita Accanto (The Life Apart) will screen, a moving drama about self-acceptance. At 9:00 p.m., Gianni Amelio’s Campo di Battaglia (Battleground), a World War I drama starring Federica Rossellini and Alessandro Borghi, will follow.

One of the festival’s highlights is Gloria! by Margherita Vicario, screening on Dec.1. This directorial debut focuses on forgotten female composers and musicians, with music at its core. On Dec. 2, Riccardo Milani’s Un Mondo A Parte (A World Apart) will be shown, followed by a post-film discussion with the director.

The festival will close with two much-anticipated films: Pupi Avati’s L’Orto Americano (The American Backyard), a gothic-horror mystery, and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, a stunning visual exploration of Naples and its people.

In addition to the films, the Italian Cultural Institute has opened a photo exhibition, Fotogrammi di moda italiana (Frames of Italian Fashion) at the Italian Cultural Institute. Open through Jan. 18 and curated by Stefano Dominella, the exhibit showcases iconic dresses worn by legendary actresses such as Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Monica Bellucci, and Gina Lollobrigida.

The photos also spotlight how Italian couture became a global symbol through cinema, especially in the 1950s when Rome was dubbed “Hollywood on the Tiber.”

Thirty-nine gowns by famous designers, such as Fernanda Gattinoni, Renato Balestra, and Laura Biagiotti are now on display. Admission is free, and the exhibit is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.