Kino Ensemble – Franco-German Film Festival

A European window on cinema in Palermo

Kino Ensemble is the Franco-German film festival that brings the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, in the Zisa district of Palermo, to life. Promoted by the French and German Embassies in Italy and organized by the Kultur Ensemble Palermo—the joint cultural institute born from the union of the Goethe-Institut and the Institut français—the festival transforms the former Zisa industrial complex into a meeting place for Italian, French, and German cinema.

Between the Sala Wenders and the Institut français terrace

Screenings are held in two iconic spaces within the Cantieri: the Sala Wenders at the Goethe-Institut and the Institut français terrace, overlooking the city. Films are always presented in their original language with subtitles, and admission is free until capacity is reached. Each evening is often accompanied by introductions from scholars and critics, who provide historical and cultural context for the works on the program.

Auteur retrospectives and contemporary perspectives

The festival alternates between major auteur retrospectives and more recent European co-productions. The Kino Ensemble program dedicates significant space to masters of European cinema—such as the retrospective dedicated to Max Ophuls, an emblematic figure of a cinema that transcends the borders between Germany, France, and Italy—while also looking to the present with thematic cycles addressing current issues like disinformation and the circulation of images.

The Kultur Ensemble and the Cantieri della Zisa

Founded in 2021, the Kultur Ensemble Palermo is one of the few cultural institutes in the world managed jointly by France and Germany, and it has chosen Palermo as a laboratory for creative Italian-French-German encounters. The setting of the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, at Via Paolo Gili 4, is one of the main cultural hubs of the Sicilian capital, home to various institutions, screening rooms, and exhibition spaces. Kino Ensemble is part of a broader program that includes artist residencies, meetings, and debates, helping to make the Sicily Region a crossroads for European cultural dialogue.

Why attend

• European auteur cinema in original language with subtitles
• Free admission until capacity is reached
• Introductions by scholars and critics
• A unique setting: the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa