U.S. indie distributor Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Francesco Costabile’s dark melodrama “Familia” that is Italy’s candidate for the best international feature film at the 2026 Academy Awards.
“Familia,” which weaves together elements of psychological thriller and social commentary follows the harrowing journey of Luigi, a young man grappling with a toxic family legacy and his entanglement with extremist ideologies. Based on Luigi Celeste’s autobiographical book “It Won’t Be Like This Forever,” the story delves into the destructive cycles of violence and the struggle for redemption.
Constabile’s film launched from the 2024 from the Venice Film Festival, in the Horizons section where protagonist Francesco Gheghi won the best actor award for his powerful performance as Gigi Celeste, a young man shaped by domestic violence and lured into a far-right political movement. “Familia” went on to earn Francesco Di Leva – who plays the mercurial father whose return from prison destabilizes an already fragile family – Italy’s David di Donatello award for best supporting actor.
The film’s cast also conprises Barbara Ronchi (“Kidnapped” by Marco Bellochio).
Costabile previously garnered critical acclaim for his debut feature “Una Femmina — The Code of Silence” about women who’ve had the courage to break away from the grip of the Calabrian mob’s blood ties and codes.
“We are thrilled to bring Familia to U.S. theaters, a multi-award-winning picture with an intense cinematic language that immediately captivated us,” said Breaking Glass Pictures’ CEO Richard Wolff in a statement. The indie distributor is known for handling international and auteur-driven cinema, including LGBTQ+, horror and foreign-language titles, with a keen eye for Italian titles such as Mario Martone’s “Nostalgia.”
True Colours’ head of sales Francesca Tiberi, which handled the “Familia” deal, commented: “We are extremely happy to renew our collaboration with BGP on a special feature film such as “Familia” and its Oscar campaign.”
The two companies had previously teamed up in 2022 to support Italy’s Oscar campaign for “Nostalgia” that had launched from the Cannes Film Festival competition.
Costabile in the statement pointed out that “Familia” “explores the forms of violence inherent in patriarchal culture against women, a theme that is tragically relevant today and cuts across every culture and every country.”
“Familia” is produced by Attilio de Razza and Nicola Picone at Rome-based Tramp Limited. The co-producers are Nicola Giuliano at Rome’s Indigo Film and Pierpaolo Verga at Naples’ O’Groove, and in association with Medusa Film.
variety.com
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