For the first time on the big screen, in two evenings open to the public—the opening and closing of the FICE Days – Encounters of Art-House Cinema—the eight short films that won the “Borders Without Borders” call for projects, promoted by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia – Department of Culture in collaboration with FVG Film Commission – PromoTurismoFVG, will be screened.

The first screening will be held on Monday, September 29 at 8:00 PM at the Kinemax in Gorizia (with the special participation of directors and producers accompanying their works), and the second on Friday, October 3 at 7:30 PM in Piazza Transalpina/Trg Evrope, a symbol of a border transformed into a bridge and present at both the beginning and the end of the narrative of each short film.

Both evenings are open to the public - admission is free.

Eight stories, eight perspectives on the border as a place of encounter, transformation, and shared future. Eight stories that, in different ways, narrate the “absence of the border,” with Piazza Transalpina / Trg Evrope—symbol of unity and of overcoming divisions—appearing as a constant element at the beginning and end of the narration. Eight works animated by different inspirations and languages, yet united in the challenge of forever capturing, through cinema, the stories, emotions, and magic of a place that throughout 2025 plays a central role with GO! 2025 European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica – Gorizia, leaving a cultural legacy that extends beyond the Capital itself.

These are the eight short films, unique and original works, winners of the “Borders Without Borders” call strongly supported by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia – Department of Culture in collaboration with FVG Film Commission – PromoTurismoFVG.

The films will premiere at the opening and closing of the 25th edition of the FICE Days – Encounters of Art-House Cinema FVG: Monday, September 29 at 8:00 PM at the Kinemax in Gorizia – Hall 1, with the special presence of authorities, directors, and producers, and Friday, October 3 at 7:30 PM in the evocative Piazza Transalpina/Trg Evrope, in an event that further reinforces the symbolic value of the project. Both evenings are free admission, subject to availability.

The scheduled titles are:

• Il ponte, the directorial debut of Giacomo Bendotti (Amarena Film), exploring migration and highlighting the permeability of borders across time and history.

• Cos te costa by Davide Del Degan (Galaxia), written by Alessandro Biamonti, investigating physical and metaphysical borders as distortions of human reality.

• La battaglia delle spazzole by Lorenzo Fabbro (Staragara I.T), a witty comedy transforming the nightly routine of two street-sweeper operators into a battle of invisible boundaries and unexpected feelings.

• Confini, canti by Simone Massi (Rumore), the only animated work in Borders Without Borders, which closed the Critics’ Week of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

• Meja – Frontiera by Emma Jaay (Tucker Film), a modern fable offering a poetic reflection on human connection beyond geographical divisions.

• Vivere by Chiara Cremaschi (La Scontrosa), a powerful and visually intense road story.

• L’estate che verrà by Mauro Lodi (Groenlandia), a touching story of deep friendship between two young men, one Italian and one Slovenian, who grew up in the culturally cohesive environment of Gorizia’s Staatsgymnasium.

• L’osservatore dell’est by Alberto Fasulo (Neferti Film), a skillful blend of comedy, drama, and homage to Sergio Leone’s westerns.

These works, directed and produced by filmmakers and companies already established on the national and international scene, feature leading actors well known to wider audiences such as Ksenija Rappoport, Lucia Mascino, and Giorgio Colangeli.

With a total running time of 144 minutes, the shorts form a mosaic of languages and visions—an invitation to overcome real or symbolic barriers.

The “Borders Without Borders” call supported productions with contributions of up to €100,000 each. The winners—selected from over 150 proposals from various European countries—were chosen by a jury of experts chaired by Academy Award winner Gabriele Salvatores. Filming took place in the Gorizia and cross-border area during the summer of last year.

The two screenings are part of the program of the 25th edition of the FICE Days – Encounters of Art-House Cinema, one of the leading Italian film events, organized by the Italian Federation of Art-House Cinema and the Palazzo del Cinema – Hiša Filma Association. The festival will be held from September 30 to October 3 between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, for an edition that is extraordinarily “borderless.” The FICE Days are a unique gathering for the film industry and cinephiles across Italy, a meeting point for producers, distributors, exhibitors, authors, journalists, and festival organizers.

It was also announced yesterday that Borders Without Borders will have its national premiere in Rome on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, as a special event of the Alice nella Città Festival, the prestigious independent section of the Rome Film Festival dedicated to young generations and new cinematic languages.

The Borders Without Borders project is part of the official program of GO! 2025