Il Cinema in Ascolto

Il Cinema in Ascolto, the arena with wireless headphones

Il Cinema in Ascolto is the open-air film festival that will bring Rome's summer evenings to life from July 4th to 17th, 2026, in the heart of the Municipio VIII district. Now in its second edition, the event transforms the Parco del Polo Civico on Viale Aldo Ballarin, with its Pasquale De Angelis Auditorium Arena, into an immersive space where the big screen meets technology and cultural engagement. Admission is free and open to everyone.

The concept: cinema heard through headphones

The feature that makes this festival unique is the use of wireless headphones: every spectator follows the screening with high-quality individual audio, without causing noise pollution for the surrounding neighborhood. Before the film starts, the headphones also serve as an entertainment tool, accompanying the audience with a lounge music selection while allowing full freedom of movement within the area. The park remains open every evening from 7:00 PM to midnight, with a food & drink area and moments dedicated to socializing.

The 2026 program: fourteen evenings, six thematic areas

The lineup spans contemporary Italian and international cinema, cult classics that have defined generations, documentaries, and an evening entirely dedicated to Italian short films. The screenings are organized into six thematic areas: Borders and Identity, Conflicts and Transformations, Paths and Choices, Memory and Stories, Travel and Adventure, Music and Rhythm.

• July 4th - La città proibita by Gabriele Mainetti (opening night)
• July 5th - The Blues Brothers by John Landis
• July 6th - Italian Short Film Night, with authors and cast in attendance
• July 7th - The Sea by Shai Carmeli Pollak, introduced by Doctors Without Borders
• July 8th - Manas by Marianna Brennand
• July 9th - Semplice cliente by Alessio De Leonardis
• July 10th - Tre regole infallibili by Marco Gianfreda
• July 11th - La guerra del Tiburtino Terzo by Luna Gualano
• July 12th - Tre storie in bottiglia by Giuseppe Gandini
• July 13th - Burning Victoria
• July 14th - Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis
• July 15th - Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto
• July 16th - E-Bola by Christian Marazziti
• July 17th - La terza volta by Gianni Aureli (closing night)

Meetings with the authors

Many evenings are accompanied by the presence of directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors, who engage with the audience before or after the screening. Special attention is reserved for independent cinema and new voices: the short film night brings various short works to the screen with the authors present, while titles like The Sea are introduced by third-sector organizations such as Doctors Without Borders. The artistic direction is entrusted to Gianni Aureli.

A free festival in Rome's Municipio VIII

Produced by We Break Production in collaboration with Marte 2010 and Associak, Il Cinema in Ascolto is designed as a local cultural hub: a neighborhood arena that brings great auteur cinema to an area of the city far from the historic center's circuits, returning a summer meeting space to the residents of Municipio VIII and all of Rome. The initiative is part of the Roman Summer calendar in the Lazio Region, among the many open-air arenas that enliven the Capital every year from June to September.