Summer 2025: Rome’s piazzas are once again transformed into movie theaters thanks to the Ragazzi del Cinema America

The outdoor movie theater Cinema In Piazza returns this summer, transforming Rome’s beautiful piazzas into open-air cinemas from June 1 till July 13.

Starting from June 1st, you can enjoy 94 screenings, 35 special events, and many retrospectives in three locations: Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere, Parco della Cervelletta in Tor Sapienza, and Monte Ciocci Park in Valle Aurelia.

After the success of last year’s edition, the event organized by the Fondazione Piccolo America celebrates its eleventh anniversary with a cultural offering that looks back at the great cinema of the past and showcases new independent works from Italy and around the world.

There will be national and international guests such as Paola Cortellesi, Leos Carax, Walter Hill, Priscilla Drag, Michele Riondino, Sven Marquardt, Asia Argento, Riccardo Scamarcio, Fabio e Damiano D’Innocenzo, Daniele Luchetti, Margherita Vicario, Franc Roddam, Gia Coppola, Massimo D’Anolfi, Martina Parenti, Alba Rohrwacher, Ali Sethi, Joe Wright, Luca Marinelli and many more.

Among the retrospectives scheduled: Roberto Rossellini, John Carpenter, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Franca Valeri, Stop Motion Cinema, Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti, Judd Apatow, Roald Dahl, Claire Denis, Park Chan-wook, and a special selection curated by the Criterion Collection.

This year’s movie marathon will be dedicated to the iconic DC Comics superhero, Batman — starting with Tim Burton’s cult classic Batman Returns and continuing with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

The 2025 program of “Il Cinema in Piazza”

SAN COSIMATO (1 June – 13 July)

June 1 – Paola Cortellesi presents Una giornata particolare
June 4 – Susanna Nicchiarelli, Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori, and Roberto Pantaleoni present Roma città aperta by Roberto Rossellini (1945, 103 min), in collaboration with Tornerà la primavera – Moderator: Damiano Panattoni
June 5 – Halloween (Halloween – La notte delle streghe) by John Carpenter (1978, 91 min)
June 6 – Frcinema Award Ceremony: Tangerine by Sean Baker (2015, 88 min) – Special Guest: Priscilla Drag
June 7 – Una settimana, La casa elettrica, Lo spaventapasseri, Poliziotti by Buster Keaton (1920–1922, 22 min, 23 min, 20 min, 18 min)
June 8 – Le luci del varietà by Federico Fellini and Alberto Lattuada (1950, 97 min)
June 11 – Paisà by Roberto Rossellini (1946, 126 min)
June 12 – The Fog (Fog) by John Carpenter (1980, 89 min)
June 13 – Lexi Alexander presents Green Street (Hooligans) by Lexi Alexander (2005, 109 min)
June 14 – Chariots of Fire (Momenti di gloria) by Hugh Hudson (1981, 125 min), in collaboration with the Dicastery for Culture and Education – Giubileo dello Sport
June 15 – Piccola posta by Steno, starring Franca Valeri (1955, 99 min)
June 18 – Germania anno zero by Roberto Rossellini (1948, 78 min)
June 19 – The Thing (La cosa) by John Carpenter (1982, 109 min)
June 20 – Daniele Luchetti and Domenico Starnone present La scuola by Daniele Luchetti (1995, 100 min) – Moderator: Claudia Tombini
June 21 – La febbre dell’oro by Charlie Chaplin (1925, 87 min)
June 22 – Il segno di Venere by Dino Risi, with Franca Valeri (1955, 97 min)
June 25 – Stromboli (Terra di Dio) by Roberto Rossellini (1950, 107 min)
June 26 – Essi vivono (They Live) by John Carpenter (1988, 94 min)
June 27 – Franc Roddam presents Quadrophenia by Franc Roddam (1979, 120 min) – Moderator: Alberto Piccinini
June 28 – La palla n° 13, Come vinsi la guerra, La barca, Tiro a segno, Il viso pallido by Buster Keaton (1924–1921, 45 min, 23 min, 21 min, 20 min)
June 29 – Il vedovo by Dino Risi (1959, 91 min)
July 2 – Francesco, giullare di Dio by Roberto Rossellini (1950, 85 min)
July 3 – CISL Night: L’intervista in mare by Ludovico Ferro (2023, 71 min)
July 4 – Vent’anni di sensualità a corte presents Marcello Cesena, Simona Garbarino, Fabrizio Lopresti, Mauro Pirovani, Simonetta Guarino
July 5 – Modern Times (Tempi moderni) by Charlie Chaplin (1936, 87 min)
July 6 – Parigi o cara by Vittorio Caprioli (1962, 106 min), with Franca Valeri
July 9 – Viaggio in Italia by Roberto Rossellini (1954, 85 min)
July 10 – In the Mouth of Madness (Il seme della follia) by John Carpenter (1994, 95 min)
July 11 – Alba Rohrwacher presents A Woman Under the Influence (Una moglie) by John Cassavetes (1974, 155 min)
July 12 – The Great Dictator (Il grande dittatore) by Charlie Chaplin (1940, 125 min)
July 13 – Basta guardarla by Luciano Salce, with Franca Valeri (1970, 100 min)

CERVELLETTA (5 June – 13 July)

June 5 – Walter Hill presents The Warriors (I guerrieri della notte) by Walter Hill (1979, 93 min) – Moderators: Suarez and Lucci
June 6 – Galline in fuga by Peter Lord and Nick Park (2000, 84 min, Stop Motion)
June 7 – The 40 Year Old Virgin (40 anni vergine) by Judd Apatow (2005, 116 min)
June 8 – Episodes 1 and 2 of the first season of Twin Peaks by David Lynch and Mark Frost (1990, 120 min), in collaboration with MUBI + a talk on transcendental meditation curated by Enrico Tomei
June 11 – I promessi sposi by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2007, 73 min)
June 12 – Sven Marquardt and Asia Argento present Beauty and Decay by Annekatrin Hendel (2019, 79 min) – Moderator: Carlo Antonelli
June 13 – La sposa cadavere by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson (2005, 77 min, Stop Motion)
June 14 – Knocked Up (Molto incinta) by Judd Apatow (2007, 129 min)
June 15 – Batman Returns (Batman – Il ritorno) by Tim Burton (1992, 126 min)
June 18 – Grandi speranze by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2009, 77 min)
June 19 – Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo present Dostoevskij by Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo (2024, 287 min)
June 20 – Wallace & Gromit – La maledizione del coniglio mannaro by Nick Park (2005, 85 min, Stop Motion)
June 21 – This is 40 (Questi sono i 40) by Judd Apatow (2012, 134 min)
June 22 – Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan (2005, 140 min)
June 25 – Materia oscura by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2012, 80 min)
June 26 – Bennett Miller presents Capote (Truman Capote – A sangue freddo) by Bennett Miller (2005, 114 min) – Moderator: Antonio Monda
June 27 – Tony, Shelley e la luce magica by Filip Pošivač (2023, 82 min, Stop Motion)
June 28 – Funny People by Judd Apatow (2009, 146 min)
June 29 – The Dark Knight (Il cavaliere oscuro) by Christopher Nolan (2008, 152 min)
July 2 – Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti present Spira Mirabilis by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2016, 121 min) – Moderator: Giulio Sangiorgio
July 3 – Hayao Miyazaki Marathon: Porco Rosso (1992, 94 min), La città incantata (2001, 124 min), Il castello errante di Howl (2004, 119 min)
July 4 – Brady Corbet presents Angst by Gerald Kargl (1983, 79 min)
July 5 – The King of Staten Island (Il re di Staten Island) by Judd Apatow (2020, 136 min)
July 6 – The Dark Knight Rises (Il cavaliere oscuro – Il ritorno) by Christopher Nolan (2012, 164 min)
July 9 – Guerra e pace by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2020, 129 min)
July 10 – The Goonies (I Goonies) by Richard Donner (1985, 115 min)
July 11 – Shaun, vita da pecora by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak (2015, 85 min, Stop Motion)
July 12 – Joe Wright and Luca Marinelli present M. Il figlio del secolo (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4) by Joe Wright (2024, 212 min)
July 13 – Joe Wright and Luca Marinelli present M. Il figlio del secolo (Episodes 5, 6, 7, 8) by Joe Wright (2024, 200 min)

MONTE CIOCCI (7 June – 13 July)

June 7 – Michele Riondino, Vanessa Scalera, and the entertainment industry workers present Palazzina Laf by Michele Riondino (2023, 99 min) – Moderator: Damiano Panattoni
June 8 – Willy Wonka e la fabbrica di cioccolato by Mel Stuart (1971, 100 min, Stop Motion)
June 11 – Albert Serra presents Pacification (Pacification – Un mondo sommerso) by Albert Serra (2022, 165 min) – Moderator: Aldo Spinello
June 12 – Chocolat by Claire Denis (1988, 105 min)
June 13 – Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Mr. Vendetta) by Park Chan-wook (2002, 129 min)
June 14 – Riccardo Scamarcio, Luca Lucini, Maria Chiara Augenti present Tre metri sopra il cielo by Luca Lucini (2004, 98 min) – Moderators: Maria Cafagna and Stefano Monti
June 15 – Chi ha paura delle streghe? by Nicolas Roeg (1990, 91 min, Roald Dahl)
June 18 – Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid by Sam Peckinpah (1973, 116 min) – Selected by Criterion Collection
June 19 – Beau Travail by Claire Denis (1999, 92 min)
June 20 – Oldboy by Park Chan-wook (2003, 120 min)
June 21 – Margherita Vicario and cast present Gloria! by Margherita Vicario (2024, 106 min)
June 22 – Versi perversi by Jan Lachauer, Jakob Schuh, and Bin-Han To (2016, 56 min, Roald Dahl)
June 25 – Paper Moon (Paper Moon – Luna di carta) by Peter Bogdanovich (1973, 102 min) – Selected by Criterion Collection
June 26 – Trouble Every Day (Cannibal Love – Mangiata viva) by Claire Denis (2001, 101 min)
June 27 – Lady Vengeance (Lady Vendetta) by Park Chan-wook (2005, 115 min)
June 28 – Gia Coppola presents Palo Alto by Gia Coppola (2013, 100 min)
June 29 – Matilda 6 mitica by Danny DeVito (1996, 98 min, Roald Dahl)
July 2 – Brian Selznick presents Hugo (Hugo Cabret) by Martin Scorsese (2011, 126 min) – Moderator: Antonio Monda
July 3 – Ari Aster presents Carta Bianca – Surprise Screening – Moderator: Antonio Monda
July 4 – Shaft (Shaft il detective) by Gordon Parks (1971, 100 min) – Selected by Criterion Collection
July 5 – Spellbound (Io ti salverò) by Alfred Hitchcock (1945, 118 min)
July 6 – Il GGG – Il grande gigante gentile by Steven Spielberg (2016, 117 min, Roald Dahl)
July 9 – Cineconcerto: He Who Gets Slapped by Victor Sjöström (1924, 86 min) – Live soundtrack by Laura Agnusdei, Simone Cavina, Stefano Pilia, and Antonio Raia
July 10 – High Life by Claire Denis (2018, 113 min)
July 11 – Ali Sethi presents Monsoon Wedding (Monsoon Wedding – Matrimonio indiano) by Mira Nair (2001, 114 min) – Moderator: Antonio Monda
July 12 – Laura Citarella presents Trenque Lauquen by Laura Citarella (2022, 262 min) – Moderator: Tommaso Santambrogio
July 13 – Fantastic Mr. Fox by Wes Anderson (2009, 87 min)

CINEMA TROISI

June 2 – 9:00 PM: Leos Carax presents Une chambre en ville (Una camera in città) by Jacques Demy (1982, 94 min)
June 10 – 8:30 PM: Albert Serra presents Tardes de soledad by Albert Serra (2024, 125 min) – Moderator: Aldo Spinello
June 14 – 6:00 PM: Lexi Alexander presents Absolute Dominion by Lexi Alexander (2025, 100 min)
June 16 – 8:30 PM: Quo Vadimus, Europa? – Slavoj Žižek in conversation with Lorenzo Marsili (Berggruen Institute Europe) + screening of City Lights by Charlie Chaplin (1931, 87 min)
July 1 – 6:00 PM: Gia Coppola presents The Last Showgirl by Gia Coppola (2024, 88 min)
July 1 – 8:30 PM: Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti present Bestiari, erbari, lapidari by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (2024, 208 min)
July 7 – 6:00 PM: Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, and Daniel Libeskind present The Brutalist by Brady Corbet (2024, 216 min) – Moderator: Antonio Monda

All films will be shown in the original language with Italian subtitles.

Cinema in Piazza is organized by “Piccolo Cinema America,” a group dedicated to promoting culture and film. They say the goal of “Il Cinema in Piazza” is in “the contemporary involvement of the center and the suburbs” which seeks to uniquely “rebuild a sense of community, promoting a knowledge accessible to all with free and shared projections.” Additionally, Cinema In Piazza promotes the cultural importance of the event, saying “the projection does not end in the mere vision of the show, but becomes an experience of intense civil and social value.”

The event had previously been held in Piazza San Cosimato under the name “Festival Trastevere Rione del Cinema,” but faced a dispute with Rome’s deputy mayor and culture councilor, Luca Bergamo. Instead of limiting the hours, like Bergamo wanted, the event grew after being supported by well-known figures in film, such as Martin Scorsese and “Pif” Pierfrancesco Diliberto.

Now, Cinema In Piazza’s project is continuing in an even more concrete direction, seeking to unite all of Rome through film by “connecting three nerve centers [in the city] through the construction of three contemporary arenas.”

FROM 1 JUNE TO 13 JULY 2025

Locations:

Piazza San Cosimato – Trastevere

Monte Ciocci – Via Domizia Lucilla, 76

Casale della Cervelletta – Parco della Cervelletta in Tor Sapienza

Movie screenings at 9:15pm

Free entry, no reservation required

ilcinemainpiazza.it

A Guide To Rome’s Outdoor Cinemas