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Holy Cannoli

Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
Holy Cannoli - image - a film by Pif
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION - 2026 ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL (FROM 16 SEP)
Holy Cannoli -poster - a film by Pif
Harks back to the light-heartedness and ingenuity of ‘The Mafia Kills Only In Summer’. It has the same ability to entertain and to make you think. All this with a sense of proportion that’s quite rare in these excessive times.
A light-hearted, entertaining film that moves and provokes.
Lively, entertaining and utterly genuine. Yet another demonstration of Pif's brilliance as a writer who, like few others, knows how to subvert (never so literally) the drama with an irony devoid of heroes or mentors.
Director: Pierfranceso 'Pif' Diliberto
Cast: Pif, Giusy Buscemi, Francesco Scianna, Carlos Hipólito, Maurizio Marchetti, Domenico Centamore
Duration: 114mins
Country of Origin: Italy
M
Coarse language
Harks back to the light-heartedness and ingenuity of ‘The Mafia Kills Only In Summer’. It has the same ability to entertain and to make you think. All this with a sense of proportion that’s quite rare in these excessive times.
A light-hearted, entertaining film that moves and provokes.
Lively, entertaining and utterly genuine. Yet another demonstration of Pif's brilliance as a writer who, like few others, knows how to subvert (never so literally) the drama with an irony devoid of heroes or mentors.

OPENING NIGHT GALA - 2026 ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Witty, romantic and smart, the eagerly-awaited new film from beloved Italian satirist Pierfrancesco ‘Pif’ Diliberto (The Mafia Kills Only In Summer) - adapted from his own bestselling novel - is a hugely entertaining and gently irreverent comedy about love, faith and finding the perfect pastry.

Sicily, present day. Arturo (Pif) is a real estate agent near-infallible at his job, but far less so in love. A creature of habit, Arturo lives alone, is the weak link in his office's five-a-side football team, and nurtures a single, unwavering passion: desserts - the delights and criticisms of which he posts on social media. He especially loves the sciù (Palermo's favourite cream-filled choux buns) from the city's most celebrated pasticceria. His life lights up when he meets the owner’s daughter, the fervently religious Flora (Giusy Buscemi), who's looking to rent a space to open her own patisserie. Falling instantly, hopelessly in love, Arturo is thrust into a world of belief and moral expectation far beyond his comfort zone. To win Flora over, he embellishes his commitment to Catholicism and embarks on an increasingly absurd attempt to live by the gospel, a quest so unlikely it earns him a most unexpected spiritual advisor: the Pope himself.

By turns playful, pointed and cheeky, HOLY CANNOLI channels Pif’s distinctive gift for using comedy to explore the contradictions of contemporary Italian life, in this case as experienced by a soul-searching, sweet-toothed sceptic.

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Description
Pif is coming to Australia! The Italian Film Festival and Palace Films are delighted to invite you to meet him at the Sydney and Melbourne premiere screenings 17-21 September. Full details here.
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Holy Cannoli -poster - a film by Pif