The 24th Ischia Film Festival will be held on Ischia, Italy, from June 27 to July 4, 2026. The event is renowned for using the historic Aragonese Castle as its venue and for focusing on the connection between cinema, landscapes, cultural memory and independent cinema. The festival features three core categories: Feature Films (Lungometraggi), Short Films (Cortometraggi), and Denied Locations (Location Negata). The 24th edition introduces the "Salvatore Lauro" Prize, celebrating Italian productions that utilise Ischia as a storytelling setting. The Aragonese Castle, in fact, during the Ischia Film Festival, is transformed into a cinema town where, in different settings (the ruined Baroque Cathedral of the Assumption, Piazza delle Armi, Terrace of the House of the Sun, Piazzale del Carcere Borbonico), open to an always educated and knowledgeable audience, the protagonists of cinema meet, discuss and often establish new collaborations from which new works sometimes arise and later reach the festival in subsequent editions.
A bit later in the month, there will be the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival (July 12–19, 2026) The event brings together international cinema and music, highlighted by special premieres and a starry grand finale. This time with the premiere of “One of Us,” a psychological thriller starring Kit Connor, one of the most promising young British actors today. Directed by first-time filmmaker Stefan van de Graaff in Northern Ireland, the film marks an important milestone in Connor’s career with its dark, tense role. The plot centres around a family funeral where members begin dying under mysterious circumstances. The youngest family member, played by Connor, must solve the mystery before the entire family is eliminated. Combining horror, mystery, and allegory, “One of Us” creates a tense atmosphere that keeps audiences on edge until the conclusion.
This film exemplifies Kit Connor’s ongoing artistic evolution and versatility. After his breakout role in the series Heartstopper, which established him as one of the most exciting young actors, he has taken on a wider variety of roles. Before his TV success, he portrayed a young Elton John in Rocketman alongside Taron Egerton and appeared in films such as Little Joe and Ready Player One. The Italian premiere of “One of Us” enriches the Ischia Global Fest 2026, offering audiences one of the most anticipated independent thrillers of the season and reaffirming the festival’s dedication to showcasing emerging international film talent.
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