Cinema City Palermo

An open-air film festival in the heart of Palermo

Cinema City Palermo is one of the most beloved summer film festivals in the Sicilian capital. Created to bring the big screen back to the city's squares, every summer it transforms an urban space in the historic center into an arena under the stars, where the public gathers at dusk to enjoy free or accessible screenings. The event is organized by the Wilder Cultural Association, under the artistic direction of Carmelo Galati, and takes place in the municipality of Palermo, Sicily.

Piazza del Parlamento, beneath the Palazzo dei Normanni

For several editions, the festival has made Piazza del Parlamento its home, a scenic square at the foot of the Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel, one of the iconic sites of Palermo's UNESCO-recognized Norman and Arab-Norman heritage. Screening films in this setting means intertwining the seventh art with the city's millennial history, offering spectators an experience that goes far beyond simply watching a movie.

A program of great cinema and auteur short films

The Cinema City format alternates a short film and a feature film each evening, creating a journey that highlights both well-known titles and short works awarded at major festivals. The selection ranges from contemporary Italian cinema to audience-favorite classics, from documentaries to auteur stories. Screenings are often introduced and accompanied by meetings with directors, actors, screenwriters, and industry experts, with the aim of promoting film culture and visual literacy.

An event for the whole city

• Evening open-air screenings in the square during the warm Palermitan summer nights
• Free admission or a small symbolic contribution
• Programming suitable for families, young people, cinephiles, and tourists
• Meetings and debates with guests from the world of cinema
• Enhancement of public spaces and the historic center's heritage

Cinema, community, and public space

More than just a summer arena, Cinema City Palermo has become an identity-defining event for the city over the years: a way to return the squares to citizens as places for gathering and shared culture. The formula of free, high-quality open-air cinema has helped bring audiences back to the theater and, if only for one summer week, turned Palermo into a small capital of accessible and bold cinema.