Tickets for the second Italian Film Festival Honolulu cost $15 for general admission, $5 for college students and nothing for attendees 18 and younger. The three English-subtitled films screen Nov. 13–15 at the Doris Duke Theatre, with each screening followed by a chance to hear from people connected to Italian cinema and culture.
The festival is organized by the Friends of Italy Society of Hawaiʻi, the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco, according to Aloha State Daily. The museum is providing the theatre, while the institute is paying for the film-sharing rights, the report says. The Honolulu Museum of Art describes the program as contemporary award-winning films in Italian with English subtitles.
This year’s lineup consists of La Vita Va Così (Life Is Life), Gioia Mia (Sweetheart) and Nonostante (Feeling Better), according to the station’s report. The festival was also advertised in 2025 by the Friends of Italy Society of Hawaii.
A second year at the Doris Duke Theatre
The Honolulu Museum of Art’s listing for the 2025 festival shows that the earlier edition ran Nov. 21–23, 2025, at the Doris Duke Theatre. The Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco, an official branch of the Italian government, describes its broader mission as promoting Italian language and culture in the United States through cultural events, according to the institute.
Friday and Saturday Nights Bring Post-Screening Conversations
La Vita Va Così opens Friday at 7 p.m. The film follows a Sardinian shepherd resisting a corporation’s plan to build a resort on the island. After the screening, retired University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor Christina Bacchilega will lead a discussion, according to Aloha State Daily’s account.
Saturday’s 7 p.m. screening is Gioia Mia, about a young boy spending time with his elderly aunt and discovering things about life, according to the fact list behind Aloha State Daily’s report. The discussion afterward will be led by Laura La Monaca, a photographer from Sicily who is based in Hawaiʻi.
Sunday Closes the Festival, Though Showtimes Differ by Source
The closing film, Nonostante (Feeling Better), is scheduled for Sunday, but published listings differ on its start time: Aloha State Daily’s fact list says 7 p.m., while New Media European Press lists 5:30 p.m. Attendees may want to confirm the time with organizers before going to the Doris Duke Theatre.
Aloha State Daily reported that Iolanda Marinelli described the festival as a way to present contemporary Italy through cinema, while Sarah Fang emphasized the shared experience of watching a film in a theatre.
Ticket Prices Scale Down for Students and Young Attendees
General admission for the 2026 festival is $15, with discounted $5 tickets for college students, and free admission for youth aged 18 and younger. New Media European Press additionally reports a $12 member rate for Friends of Italy Society of Hawaii and Honolulu Museum of Art members, though that specific discount was not confirmed in Aloha State Daily's account. Moviegoers can attend the festival at the Doris Duke Theatre in Honolulu across all three nights or choose individual screenings.
