Private Project

Paese Che Vai - When In Rome

Set in a small town in the Italian countryside, a young and handsome Alfredo returns home after a long time along with his partner Mattia, an African American man. After meeting Alfredo's grandmother, the sweet and crazy Donna Maria, the pair go to see Alfredo's father, Sor Pucci. Alfredo must break the news to his old-fashioned father about his secret. Little did he know his secret will churn into a series of unexpected comic events. This tongue-in-cheek comedy runs parallels alongside on the choices we make.

  • Luca Padrini
    Director
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1656977
  • Luca Padrini
    Writer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1656977
  • Simona Toma
    Writer
  • Luca Padrini
    Producer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1656977
  • Cinzia Bomoll
    Producer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3468658/
  • Vijaykumar Mirchandani
    Producer
    They Are No Less, Where The Streets Have No Name, The Process, Love Can't Be Locked Down, Divide-Time to Breathe
  • Alessandro Benvenuti
    Key Cast
    "Sor Pucci"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0073043
  • Rocco Fasano
    Key Cast
    "Alfredo"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6108068/
  • Giusy Valeri
    Key Cast
    "Donna Maria"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1012388
  • Jason Prempeh
    Key Cast
    "Mattia"
  • Lorenzo Pozzan
    Key Cast
    "Alfredo's old Friend"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5130825
  • Giuseppe Mottola
    Director Of Photography
  • Ginevra Luorio
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Alexa Plus
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Nassau Film Festival
    New Jersey
    United States
    May 10, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Sunscreen Film Festival
    St. Petersburg, Florida
    United States
    May 1, 2021
    Florida
    Official Selection
  • North Europe International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    March 10, 2021
    Best Editing of A Foreign Language
  • Apex Short Film & Music Video Film Festival
    Tucson
    United States
    February 10, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Indian International Short Film Festival “CINEMASCOPE AWARDS 2020”
    Kolkata
    India
    December 20, 2020
    Official Selection
  • East Europe Film Festival
    Warsaw
    Poland
    December 15, 2020
    Best LGBTQ Award
  • Mumbai International Cult Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    December 5, 2020
    Nest LGBTQ short, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting actor in a Comic role
  • Motion Pictures International Film Festival
    Alberta
    Canada
    November 17, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Internacional Queer Film Festival Del Carmen
    Quintana Roo
    Mexico
    November 13, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Cyrus Short Festival of Toronto
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 15, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Comedy
  • Kaleidoscope LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Little Rock
    United States
    November 5, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Reel Affirmations: Washington Dc's International LGBTQ Film Festival
    Washington DC
    United States
    October 15, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Way Out West Film Festival
    Albuquerque
    United States
    October 9, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 10, 2020
    Finalist
  • Reel Q Pittsburg LGBTQ Film Festival
    Pittsburg
    United States
    October 8, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Cardiff
    United Kingdom
    October 6, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Rome Independent Cinema Festival
    Rome
    United States
    October 6, 2020
    Official Selection
  • SoCal Film Awards
    Huntington Beach, California
    United States
    October 4, 2020
    Award Winner
  • San Diego Italian Film Festival
    Del Mar
    United States
    October 15, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
    Hartford
    United States
    October 2, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Out On Film Atlanta LGBTQ Film Festival
    Atlanta
    United States
    September 24, 2020
    Official Selection
  • The Hollywood First Time Filmmaker Showcase
    Hollywood
    United States
    August 13, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Monmouth Film Festival
    Red Bank
    United States
    August 14, 2020
    New Jersey Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival
    Rhode Island
    United States
    July 4, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Indy Shorts
    Indianapolis
    United States
    July 21, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Frameline44: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    June 27, 2020
    Official Selection
  • OUTShine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    September 1, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Top Indie Film Festival

    Japan
    May 15, 2020
    Winner Best Story, Best Writing, Best Twist / Nominations - Best Story, Best Writing, Best Twist, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Original Idea
  • Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase 2020
    Cannes
    France
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Vijaykumar Mirchandani
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Luca Padrini

Luca Padrini started his career as an Assistant Director in 2001 and then went on to work in some of TV, Advertising & Features' most successful and popular productions such as HBO's "Rome," "Miracle at Sant'Anna" by Spike Lee, "Nine" Robert Marshall's musical, "Inferno" by Ron Howard. He's offered his expertise to award-winning directors like Jane Campion, Cristina Comencini, Dario Argento, Alessandro Baricco, Emanuele Crialese, Paolo Sorrentino, Fernando Meirelles, Giuseppe Capotondi. His work in advertising includes music video "Turn Up the Radio" starring Madonna. In 2012, Luca was awarded the Short (D)Vision Award for the best screenplay for his short film "Cinema Italia," and in 2017, he was the winner of the well-known competition “Television Concept and Animation” CSC Foundation and SIAE for the television series “Five Minutes Before”. Luca is a member of the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA QUALIFICATION LIST - DIRECTOR GUILD OF AMERICA as 1ST AD.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This short film is just an act of love to my father who I thought was the last person in the world who would be able to accept my “little secret”. But he did not.
The gorgeous town of "Sutri" near Rome, where the Master Federico Fellini shot some frames of "La Dolce Vita", is the perfect frame to build a simple and neat tale where maybe you need to go a little deeper to understand a different layer.
I don’t intend to surprise the audience in the climax with the "revelation", but instead depict other parallels using different pointers for the same meaning. Nowadays we say "it's easy", "the world is open", "nobody cares"...but in reality, it’s not totally true.
Still the fight is harsh around you, and first of all, inside you!
With this short film, I hope to bring a smile along with a reminder to always keep our freedom of choice in high regard to be what you are. The fundamentals of freedom on a broader landscape, not limiting it just to sexual preference.
We all have little secrets and there comes a time we need to share that secret. Little do we contemplate what the final outcome will be and are always on the fence. This is realistic phenomenon that everyone goes through at least once in their lives including me. I wanted to tell the audiences to take the leap of faith and go for it...it will not only release the burden off your chest but you could be in for a surprise. I wanted to creatively present the idea keeping it light hearted and not as a sermon. Hoping that people take this with a pinch of salt, laugh it off and be happy!