Gattopardo Cinefestival

A festival born in the shadow of The Leopard

The Gattopardo Cinefestival is one of the most evocative cultural events in the Palermo hinterland. It takes place in Ciminna, a small village in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, in the heart of the western Madonie mountains. The town owes its cinematic fame to Luchino Visconti, who in 1962 chose Ciminna as the set for some of the most famous scenes in The Leopard, recreating the fictional Donnafugata from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel among its squares and the Mother Church.

Cinema, memory, and territory

The festival was created to enhance this legacy and to tell the story of the deep bond between cinema and the Sicilian landscape. For a few days in July, the historic center comes alive with open-air screenings, meetings with directors, actors, screenwriters, and industry professionals, debates on film commissions and the role of villages as sets, as well as moments dedicated to music and local gastronomy.

The artistic direction is entrusted to producer and film critic Sergio D'Arrigo, while the organization is managed by the Municipality of Ciminna with production by the company "Buona la prima". The event is sponsored by the Sicilian Region, the Ministry of Culture, and supported by private sponsors.

The Gattopardo Award

The heart of the festival is the Gattopardo City of Ciminna Award, a recognition conferred each year to a prominent figure in the film industry. In past editions, the award has gone to highly prestigious performers: in 2025, it was presented to the master Giancarlo Giannini, one of the few Italian actors to boast a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A village that becomes a set

During the festival, Ciminna transforms into an open-air set: video mapping projected onto the facades of historic buildings, photographic exhibitions, visits to the Mother Church and the Visconti locations, and the famous Gattopardo Grand Ball with performers in period costumes, evoking the most iconic scene of the film. A formula that combines high cinematic culture and popular celebration, capable of attracting enthusiasts, scholars, and curious visitors from all over Sicily every year.

Why attend

• Experience cinema in the real locations of Visconti's The Leopard
• Meet actors, directors, and protagonists of the seventh art
• Attend the Gattopardo Grand Ball and nightly video mapping shows
• Discover an authentic village in the province of Palermo and its cuisine