SLO Film Festival Collaborates with the Noci Film Fest to Present 'From Puglia with Love: New Voices in Italian Cinema'

Scheduled for November 10th, the mini-Italian film festival features five short Italian films and a Q&A with the films’ Italian directors

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) and the Noci Film Fest have collaborated in the creation of a mini-Italian film festival in San Luis Obispo, in partnership with the Italian Program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). The event will take place on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and will screen five Italian short films and host four of their young Italian directors (all under 30) and two delegates from The Noci Film Fest.

The event will take place from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre. Italian Aperitivo consisting of light bites and drinks will be served, followed by the screenings and a Q & A session with the directors and the Noci Film Fest team. Refreshments are provided by event sponsor and local favorite, Café Roma.

"We are very excited to host Italian filmmakers and showcase their work in San Luis Obispo. Traveling to the Noci Film Festival in the Puglia region this summer was an incredible experience, and we look forward to bringing a bit of its magic to San Luis Obispo,” said Skye McLennan, executive director of SLOIFF. “Partnerships like these bring our world and communities closer together and highlight the power of storytelling and connection."

Dolce Vita Award
As part of the collaboration, the Noci Film Fest established the Dolce Vita Award in 2026. The award recognizes an emerging American director whose short film the Noci Film Fest believes will resonate with Italian audiences, while fostering artistic exchange, and increased visibility for emerging voices between Puglia, Italy and California. The winner in 2026, Everything Must Go, was announced on April 28 at SLOIFF’s closing night ceremonies. Its director, Tiffany So, was invited to attend the Noci Film Fest in Italy as the festival’s guest in July of this year.

Background
The Noci Film Fest/SLOIFF partnership is supported with funding from the Italian Government to promote Italian cinema and foster a transnational exchange of filmmakers and film festival professionals with California. Building on this support, the Noci Film Fest collaborated with Skye McLennan, executive director, SLOIFF; Dr. Antonio Iannotta, Professor of Italian Cinema, UC San Diego; and Valentina Cartareggia, executive director, San Diego Italian Film Festival (SDIFF), to design and implement an international exchange program for young directors. The collaboration was initiated and coordinated by Dr. Teresiana Matarrese of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

As part of the exchange, the Noci Film Fest hosted a California jury including Randi Barros (Cal Poly), Jennie Tugend (American Film Institute), Skye McLennan (SLOIFF), Dr. Antonio Iannotta (UCSD), and Valentina Cartareggia (SDIFF) in July 2026. Two Cal Poly students, Reagan Bones and Riley Petrocco, were also invited to attend the festival where they made a short film about the collaboration and screened their film, You Jump, I Jump, which premiered at SLOIFF 2026.

The next part of the exchange will commence in November 2026, when California will host Italian filmmakers chosen by the Noci Film Fest who will participate in the event “From Puglia with Love: New Voices in Italian Cinema” including screenings and Q&A’s organized by SLOIFF in San Luis Obispo and SDIFF in San Diego.

About San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
Celebrating its 33rd edition in 2027, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is a six-day annual event. It showcases creative, diverse, and impactful works from around the world in a wide variety of venues, from the city’s classic art deco Fremont Theater to the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre. Named to MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals” list, and USA TODAY's 10Best Readers Choice Awards, the 2027 festival runs from April 22-27. SLOIFF is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Qualifying Festival in the category of “Best Documentary Short”.

About Nocicinema APS and Noci Film Fest
Nocicinema APS is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to promoting cinema as a platform for education, creativity, and international exchange. Based in Puglia, Southern Italy, the organization has organized the Noci Film Fest since 2006, now in its 13th edition. Over the years, Nocicinema has collaborated with public institutions, the Apulia Film Commission, universities, and international film organizations, including the Beijing Film Academy and the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, creating opportunities for emerging filmmakers to gain international exposure.

Education and inclusion are central to its mission. Through Taglia Corto, an intensive filmmaking campus, approximately 70 students and 12 crews participate in workshops and a 90-hour short film production challenge. Additional initiatives, including Cinema nelle Scuole and Cinema senza Barriere, bring film education to local schools and provide creative opportunities for children with disabilities. Building on this experience, Nocicinema is expanding its international reach through Cinema Week – Italia | California, an initiative involving the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Cal Poly University, the San Diego Italian Film Festival, and four Italian film distributors. Combining screenings, educational activities, and professional exchanges, the project aims to connect emerging filmmakers under 35 with California's film and academic communities, strengthening cultural ties between Italy and the United States. This project was made possible with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC) and SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), as part of the Per Chi Crea program.

Ann Flower
Ann Flower Communications
+1 310-903-0319
ann@annflowerpr.com
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