Highlight
31 Ottobre 2026
Following the great response to the “Fantastico Cinema Italiano” panel in the previous edition, Italian genre cinema returns as a key highlight at TFI Torino Film Industry 9 with a second can't-miss event on the afternoon of Friday, November 27: the panel “Fantastico Cinema Italiano: Il Ritorno”, a true sequel organized once again in collaboration with the Derry Social Club.
From Turin—a city of magic and mystery, under the sign of Dario Argento—a journey into the new Italian genre cinema kicked off last year, featuring directors, producers, distributors, film festivals and exhibitions, horror icons, Scream Queens, and institutions. The event, organized in collaboration with CNA Cinema & Audiovisivo Piemonte and Derry Social Club—a network created by Stefano Mutolo, founder and producer for Berta Film—had the explicit goal of finding and creating a space to discuss content first and foremost: inquiring into what stories are waiting to be told and the current state of the art, as well as production infrastructure and mindset, in order to delineate the Italian fantasy and genre imagery on one hand and outline its industry presence on the other.
Once labeled as "B-movies," it is increasingly clear that Italian genre cinema is now undergoing a genuine renaissance: a trendy, respected, and increasingly internationally focused reality, capable of recalling the glory days of the great masters of the past.
Thus, the Derry Social Club returns to Turin to highlight the achievements, key figures, and new perspectives of Italian genre cinema. Today, its success is certified by the box-office and international festival response to “L’Estranea” by Paolo Strippoli (the Italian entry for the Oscars), the selection of “Ting” by Maximilien Dejoie among the works-in-progress featured at Cannes Fantastic 7, and the extraordinary Italian representation at the latest Sitges Film Festival—all concrete signs of a rebirth. Amid international recognition, new productions, and industrial challenges, “Fantastico Cinema Italiano: Il Ritorno” serves as a pivotal forum to discuss how to transform this momentum into a solid, recognizable movement capable of permanently establishing itself on the international film scene.
