03/23/2026
The Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul and The Italian Cultural Center, in partnership with the historic Heights Theater, proudly presented a special screening of Stromboli, directed by Roberto Rossellini, on March 20 in celebration of the Italian Cultural Center’s 20th Anniversary.
Following the remarkable success of the Italian Film Festival’s 17th edition (February 26–March 1), which featured 10 contemporary films and 5 classic masterpieces, including a special selection Honoring the Twin Cities, and drew many sold-out screenings, the screening of Stromboli offered audiences a unique opportunity to continue celebrating Italian cinema.
Stromboli holds a special place in the Italian Cultural Center’s history, it was the very first film ever screened.
We were honored to welcome distinguished guests for this special screening. Richard Peña, Emeritus Professor at Columbia University and Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival, introduced Stromboli, offered a post-screening analysis, and led a Q&A with the audience.
Although we were not able to feature a pre-recorded video by Alessandro Rossellini as originally planned, we were grateful to share a beautiful written message from him, which was read to the audience by Tommaso Cammarano, Artistic Director of the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul.
We were also thrilled to start the evening with a live organ performance by Alec Watson II dpcd
Photos by Lisa Venticinque Photography
