Tor Marancia Arena

A big screen in the Roman countryside

Just a few kilometers from the center of Rome lies a place where the city suddenly gives way to two hundred hectares of meadows, rows of vines, and farmhouses: the Tenuta di Tor Marancia. As one of the green hearts of the Appia Antica Regional Park, it is tucked between the densely populated neighborhoods of the 8th Municipality. From July 22nd to 31st, 2026, this setting will host an outdoor cinema for the first time: ten consecutive nights, a large screen, hundreds of chairs, and nothing but the sound of crickets as a soundtrack to the films.

The new "Vivi il Cinema!" arena

The Tor Marancia Arena is not an isolated event; it is the fourth and most recent addition to the "Vivi il Cinema!" project, conceived and curated by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma as part of the Estate Romana program promoted by Rome Capital. In the 2026 edition, the project brings sixty free screenings to four different areas of the capital: Parco degli Acquedotti, Corviale, Santa Maria della Pietà, and Tor Marancia, which closes out the month of July with its ten-night run. The underlying idea is simple and generous: to bring high-quality, free, outdoor cinema to neighborhoods far from the city center, transforming public spaces into vibrant meeting places during the summer.

The program of the first edition

The festival opens on Wednesday, July 22nd, with Mr Nobody Against Putin, a documentary presented by Andrea Segre, and continues without interruption until Friday, July 31st. The program offers a diverse mix of genres: the irreverent humor of Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles on the 23rd, Young Frankenstein on the 31st), Disney animation for families (The Jungle Book on the 24th, Aladdin on the 25th, featuring the unforgettable voice of Gigi Proietti), classic American storytelling (Cast Away on the 26th, You've Got Mail on the 27th, Thelma & Louise on the 29th), and finally, an absolute masterpiece of Italian cinema, We All Loved Each Other So Much by Ettore Scola, on July 30th.

One evening is dedicated to young filmmakers: on July 28th, the screen will host The Best of 24 Frames Per Second, a selection of award-winning short films by directors under 25, linked to the Francesco Valdiserri Award. All screenings begin at 9:15 PM and conclude around 11:15 PM.

Free admission, neighborhood spirit

• Free admission to all evenings, subject to availability
• No reservations required: we recommend arriving early, especially on weekends
• Many screenings are introduced by guest directors, actors, and screenwriters
• Program suitable for families, including two animated features

Why it's worth a visit

Outdoor cinema is a deeply rooted Roman summer tradition, born fifty years ago with Renato Nicolini's festivals and never truly interrupted. At Tor Marancia, this tradition meets a rare natural setting: you watch a film while sitting inside a historic agricultural park, with the silhouette of pine trees framing the horizon. For residents of the Ardeatino, Montagnola, and Grotta Perfetta areas, it is a neighborhood staple; for those visiting Rome and the Lazio region in July, it is a chance to experience an authentically Roman evening, far from the tourist circuits, without spending a single euro.