Cortili di Cinema
The big screen under the stars in the school courtyards of North Rome
About Cortili di Cinema
Cinema that enters the neighborhoods
Cortili di Cinema is the summer open-air film festival of Municipio XV of Rome Capital, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. The concept is as simple as it is effective: instead of concentrating screenings in a single downtown arena, the festival moves weekend by weekend into local school courtyards, transforming them for one night into open-air theaters. This way, cinema arrives right in your neighborhood, in areas that often lack cultural offerings during the summer.
Six schools, six neighborhoods in North Rome
Municipio XV is one of the largest in the capital and encompasses very diverse realities, from peripheral villages to residential areas along the Via Cassia and Via Flaminia. The festival traverses this geography, stopping at six schools:
- Scuola Perriello, Borgo di Cesano
- Scuola Nitti, Fleming district
- Scuola Tommasetti, Via Cassia 1694, La Storta
- Istituto Stendhal, Via Cassia 726, Tomba di Nerone
- Istituto Pascal, Via Brembio 97, Labaro
- Liceo Farnesina, Via dei Giuochi Istmici 64, Farnesina
Each venue hosts two consecutive evenings, Saturday and Sunday, so that every neighborhood has its own local festival.
A popular yet thoughtful program
The lineup alternates between recent Italian comedies, social-issue cinema, and titles designed for younger audiences. It is not an arthouse selection reserved for specialists: the choice of films follows the criterion of sharing, with works capable of speaking to spectators of all ages sitting side by side on school chairs. Screenings always begin at 9:00 PM, when the Roman heat finally begins to subside.
A project by the Municipality and ANEC Lazio
The festival is promoted by Municipio XV together with ANEC Lazio, the association that brings together cinema operators in the region. The President of the Municipality, Daniele Torquati, and the Councilor for Culture, Tatiana Marchisio, have repeatedly emphasized how the initiative has established itself as one of the most popular summer cultural events in the area, precisely because it restores to cinema the dimension of a widespread and accessible collective experience. Admission is free for everyone, subject to availability.
The value of school spaces
Using school courtyards is not just a logistical solution. It means returning public spaces that already belong to the residents back to the community during the months when classrooms are closed. It is a model that has spread in various Italian cities in recent years and has found particularly fertile ground in North Rome, with families, young people, and the elderly meeting again in the open air at night.
How to enjoy the evening
The atmosphere is the informal and convivial one of local summer arenas: arrive early to find a seat, sit down, and chat with your neighbors before the lights go down. Those visiting Rome in summer will find here an authentic alternative to the large festivals in the center, just a stone's throw from the Parco di Veio, the Insugherata reserve, and the villages of the Cassia. A different, more everyday way to get to know the capital.
Cortili di Cinema — edition 2026
Cortili di Cinema 2026: the third edition
Promoted by Municipio XV and ANEC Lazio, the 2026 edition offered twelve free events spread over six weekends, from June 13 to July 19. Each participating school hosted two consecutive evenings, Saturday and Sunday, always starting at 9:00 PM.
The selection brought together very different titles: comedies by Riccardo Milani and Massimiliano Bruno, auteur cinema by Paolo Virzì and Margherita Spampinato, family animation with Paddington in Peru, and, on the evening of July 18 at the Liceo Farnesina, the documentary Giulio Regeni – Tutto il male del mondo by Simone Manetti. The festival concluded on Sunday, July 19, at the Farnesina.
Programme Cortili di Cinema 2026
June 2026
- Saturday, June 13 — Cesano, Scuola Perriello: La vita va così by Riccardo Milani
- Sunday, June 14 — Cesano, Scuola Perriello: 2 cuori e 2 capanne by Massimiliano Bruno
- Saturday, June 20 — Fleming, Scuola Nitti: Gioia mia by Margherita Spampinato
- Sunday, June 21 — Fleming, Scuola Nitti: Cinque secondi by Paolo Virzì
- Saturday, June 27 — La Storta, Scuola Tommasetti: Paddington in Peru by Dougal Wilson
- Sunday, June 28 — La Storta, Scuola Tommasetti: La vita va così by Riccardo Milani
July 2026
- Saturday, July 4 — Tomba di Nerone, Istituto Stendhal: 2 cuori e 2 capanne by Massimiliano Bruno
- Sunday, July 5 — Tomba di Nerone, Istituto Stendhal: Domani interrogo by Umberto Riccioni Carteni
- Saturday, July 11 — Labaro, Istituto Pascal: Gioia mia by Margherita Spampinato
- Sunday, July 12 — Labaro, Istituto Pascal: La vita va così by Riccardo Milani
- Saturday, July 18 — Farnesina, Liceo Farnesina: Giulio Regeni – Tutto il male del mondo by Simone Manetti
- Sunday, July 19 — Farnesina, Liceo Farnesina: Gioia mia by Margherita Spampinato
All screenings started at 9:00 PM.
Highlights Cortili di Cinema 2026
- Twelve free evenings in six school courtyards of Municipio XV
- Recent Italian comedy with La vita va così by Riccardo Milani and 2 cuori e 2 capanne by Massimiliano Bruno
- Cinque secondi by Paolo Virzì and Gioia mia by Margherita Spampinato for auteur cinema
- Paddington in Peru, the event dedicated to families in La Storta
- The social-issue cinema evening with the documentary Giulio Regeni – Tutto il male del mondo at Liceo Farnesina
Prices Cortili di Cinema 2026
Practical information — Cortili di Cinema
How to get there
The venues are located along the Via Cassia and Via Flaminia axis in North Rome. The FL3 regional railway (Rome Ostiense-Viterbo) serves the stations of Cesano, La Storta, and La Giustiniana; the Farnesina district can be reached via Metro Line A to Flaminio and then by the Rome-Viterbo railway. By car, exit the Grande Raccordo Anulare at the Cassia or Flaminia junctions; street parking near the schools is generally possible in the evening.
Hours and admission
All screenings begin at 9:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free until all seats are filled: it is advisable to arrive at least twenty to thirty minutes early, especially on evenings dedicated to family films.
Tips
The evenings take place outdoors: it is useful to bring a light sweater, as the temperature in the courtyards drops after 10:00 PM. In case of bad weather, check for any updates on the official channels of Municipio XV and ANEC Lazio.
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Where does it take place — Cortili di Cinema
Cortili delle scuole del Municipio XV
Via Cassia 1694, 00123 Roma