Italy has chosen the film Familia, directed by Francesco Costabile, as its representative for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
This biographical film, penned by Costabile alongside Vittorio Moroni and Andriano Chiarelli, draws inspiration from Luigi Celeste’s autobiography Non sarà sempre così. The memoir recounts Celeste’s experiences as a youth involved in far-right extremism and his struggles with a violent home life and a father engaged in criminal activities.
Familia made its global debut at the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti section in 2024.
The film was selected by the Italian film authority Anica after reviewing 24 film submissions. Competing films included Gianfranco Rosi’s Below the Clouds, Pietro Marcello’s Duse, and Leonardo Di Costanzo’s psychological drama Elisa.
The selection committee was composed of notable Italian cinema figures including Micaela Fusco, Alessandra Magliaro, Gabriele Muccino, Olivia Musini, Simona Paggi, Federico Pontiggia, Micaela Ramazzotti, Stefano Sardo, and Vito Sinopoli.
The previous Italian entry was Maura Delpero’s World War II drama Vermiglio, which earned a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2024 and advanced to the shortlist stage.
Italy last secured an Oscar in this category in 2014 with Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty. Interestingly, Sorrentino’s latest work, La Grazia, which opened the Venice Film Festival, was not submitted for the 2026 Oscars due to its scheduled release date next year, missing the eligibility period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
The cast of Familia includes notable actors such as Francesco Gheghi, Barbara Ronchi, and Francesco Di Leva, the latter having received the David di Donatello award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.
The production of Familia was led by Attilio de Razza and Nicola Picone at Tramp Limited in Rome, with collaboration from co-producers Nicola Giuliano at Indigo Film, also based in Rome, and Pierpaolo Verga at O’Groove in Naples, in association with Medusa Film.
The Rome-based agency True Colours is responsible for the international sales of the film.
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