Rome Film Fest Opens With Paolo Genovese’s Il Rumore delle Cose Nuove

Paolo Genovese’s ensemble drama Il rumore delle cose nuove opened the twenty-first edition of the Festa del Cinema di Roma on October 13, 2026, premiering at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. Salvatore Nastasi, president of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, selected the film on a proposal from artistic director Paola Malanga to open the festival in the Grand Public section, as reported by RomaToday.

Ema Stokholma hosted the opening night ceremony, which brought out a red-carpet cast including Emanuela Fanelli, Claudia Pandolfi, Vittoria Puccini, Stefano Accorsi, Lino Musella, Edoardo Pesce, and Claudio Santamaria.

Three Couples Trapped in Secrets and Self-Imposed Cages

The feature revolves around three seemingly unconnected couples who have built protective boundaries around their feelings out of fear. Il Giornale details the character dynamics: photographer Andrea, played by Stefano Accorsi, yearns for a child with emergency-room doctor Andreina, portrayed by Vittoria Puccini, whose anxiety over maternity causes strain. Andrea decides to secretly donate his seed and track down the resulting child, crossing paths with Viola, played by Claudia Pandolfi, and her husband Ralph, played by Lino Musella.

Those details come through Umberto, a violent character played by Edoardo Pesce who works as a hospital clown for pediatric oncology patients, as reported by Il Giornale. Umberto is married to Alba, played by Emanuela Fanelli, who works as a cleaner and forms a deep friendship with Elio, a wheelchair user played by Claudio Santamaria.

Director Paolo Genovese Examines Hidden Lives in a Nonlinear Narrative

Based on Genovese’s 2023 novel of the same name, the film uses a network of flashbacks and an interlocking structure to examine the unspoken truths of daily life. Genovese explained his thematic focus during the festival press conference, noting a thread connecting this project to his previous ensemble hits Perfetti sconosciuti and Follemente.

Mi interessa molto tutto ciò che non si vede immediatamente delle persone, ciò che sta dietro o che sta dentro. C’è un filo rosso tra ‘Perfetti sconosciuti’, ‘Follemente’ e ‘Il rumore delle cose nuove’, tre film completamente diversi ma con un tema dei segreti, del nascosto che ritorna.Paolo Genovese

Genovese added that the characters deal with dormant psychological secrets that an unexpected event forces them to confront. Il Giornale noted that the director framed his inquiry around a simple question: quanto conosciamo davvero le persone che amiamo?

Emanuela Fanelli Returns to the Roman Festival Following Paola Cortellesi Success

For cast member Emanuela Fanelli, the opening night marked a return to the festival stage where she previously appeared in Paola Cortellesi’s directorial debut C’è ancora domani in 2023.

È sempre bellissimo stare qui all’apertura, inizia questa festa nella mia città, sono molto legata a questo posto perché qui Paola ha presentato C’è ancora domani che è il mio film del cuore, quindi è stata una grande emozione.Emanuela Fanelli

Fanelli also noted that while her role in Cortellesi’s film involved supporting a friend dealing with domestic abuse, her character Alba in Genovese’s film navigates a toxic relationship and learns to view herself differently.

Theatrical Release Plans Scheduled for November 2026

The Festa del Cinema di Roma runs through October 25, 2026, at the Auditorium Parco della Musica. was produced by Lotus Production—a Leone Film Group company—with Rai Cinema, in collaboration with Disney+, and in association with Vice Pictures. Producers include Raffaella Leone and Andrea Leone, with Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio serving as associate producer for Vice Pictures.

The production received financial backing from the Directorate-General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Italian Ministry of Culture. Following its festival debut, 01 Distribution will release the film in Italian cinemas on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while Rai Cinema International Distribution manages foreign sales.