TRIESTE SCIENCE+FICTION FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS 25TH YEAR WITH OVER 50 FILM PREMIERES

by

TRIESTE SCIENCE+FICTION FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS 25TH YEAR WITH OVER 50 FILM PREMIERES

From October 28 to November 2, the best of science fiction cinema returns to Trieste

Guests attending include Ben Wheatley, Gabriele Mainetti and Ted Chiang

The Trieste Science+Fiction Festival is back from October 28th to November 2nd! This year marks the festival’s 25th anniversary, and it will feature a fantastic selection of science fiction films from around the globe. Expect over 50 premieres, appearances by special international guests, and a full schedule of exciting events.

This special edition, hosted by La Cappella Underground, will transform the Politeama Rossetti into a vibrant hub for new works. The event will showcase world, international, and Italian premieres, and will also include three competitions for directors, actors, and writers from around the world.

The festival isn’t just about movies; it’s a celebration of all kinds of creativity – including video games, books, comics, music, and visual art. It offers attendees a wide range of experiences that highlight the power of imagination and what’s possible.

As a huge fan, I was so excited to hear what the Festival Director, Alan Jones, had to say about this year’s Trieste Science+Fiction Festival! He said the 25th anniversary edition is packed with a really diverse and innovative program – promising to be thrilling, amazing, and, most importantly, entertaining. What I love about this festival is that it always showcases the work of filmmakers, artists, and writers from all over the world, and they’re so passionate about sharing their visions. And it’s cool how even when the stories take you to the future, they still reflect what’s happening in the world today – that’s what makes sci-fi so powerful!

Highlights

I’m really excited about the festival opener! It’s going to be *L’Homme qui rétrécit* (or *The Shrinking Man* as we know it), a new take on the Richard Matheson story directed by Jan Kounen. I’m a big fan of both Kounen and Jean Dujardin, who’s playing the lead – a guy who starts shrinking after some kind of accident and has to fight to survive in a world that suddenly feels enormous. Apparently, it’s getting its Italian premiere on Tuesday, October 28th at 8:00 PM at the Politeama Rossetti, and the director will be there, which is awesome!

Later that night, at 10:30 PM, don’t miss *The Ugly Stepsister* (Sweden/Denmark, 2025), a daring and unsettling new take on the classic Cinderella story, directed by Emilie Blichfeldt. This screening is presented in partnership with I Wonder Pictures.

Other standout screenings include:

  • October 30, 8:00 PM: Egghead Republic (Sweden, 2025) by Pella Kågermanand Hugo Lilja, a dystopian tale imagining a world where the Cold War never ended.
  • October 31, 8:00 PM: Bulk (UK, 2025) by Ben Wheatley (Sightseers, Kill List, High Rise), a high-octane sci-fi horror filled with car chases, gunfights, and romance – introduced by the director himself.
  • November 1, 5:00 PM: Arco (France, 2025) by Ugo Bienvenu, fresh from Cannes, tells the story of Iris, a young girl who helps a mysterious “rainbow boy” find his way home.
  • November 1, 8:00 PM: Orion (USA, 2024) by Jaco Bouwer (Gaia), an intense thriller about a counterintelligence agent and an amnesiac astronaut uncovering the truth behind a deadly mission.
  • November 2, 8:30 PM: Chien 51 (France, 2025) by Cédric Jimenez, a closing-night dystopian drama set in a divided Paris where a detective investigates the murder of an AI pioneer.

I’m really excited about the documentary lineup at the festival! They’re premiering some fascinating films, like Michael Almereyda’s *John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office*, which looks into the incredible, and slightly wild, experiments of a scientist who worked with dolphins and psychedelics. And then there’s *Orwell 2+2=5* by Raoul Peck – apparently it’s a really thought-provoking look at how authoritarianism is playing out today, and it’s produced by the amazing Alex Gibney, who’s won an Oscar!

Guests and Special Events

This year’s event will be honoring director Gabriele Mainetti, known for his films *They Call Me Jeeg Robot*, *Freaks Out*, and *The Forbidden City*. He will lead the Asteroide Award jury. Also being honored is Ted Chiang, the award-winning author of *Story of Your Life*, which inspired the movie *Arrival*, and a prominent thinker on artificial intelligence and the future of humankind.

All talks will be held inside the amazing Sci-Fi Dome, located in Piazza della Borsa – the central hub for events happening outside of the main festival screenings.

Head to https://www.sciencefictionfestival.org for more information.

Read More

2025-10-15 11:39