Netflix and Prime Video platforms, the major festivals in Rome and Naples: a leading October for the Sardinia Region and the Sardinia Film Commission with feature films, TV series, and documentaries.

The film commission takes stock of the film productions that will see Sardinia as the protagonist in the cinema between October and November: Hollywood with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, the sets destined for Netflix and Prime Video, the return of Salvatore Mereu , the true stories of Beniamino Zuncheddu and Farouk Kassam , the portraits of Eva Mameli Calvino and Costantino Nivola , up to the new documentaries and the Italian-Canadian thriller Dal Nulla.

"This fall once again demonstrates how cinema can be a cultural and economic resource for our island," says Ilaria Portas , regional councilor for culture: "The work of the Region and the Sardinia Film Commission is essential to attracting international productions, supporting our talent, and promoting important stories, such as those of Zuncheddu, Farouk, Mameli Calvino, and Nivola. As a Region, we want to strengthen this supply chain, so that every production represents a concrete opportunity for employment, growth, and the valorization of our culture and identity."

After the Sardinian previews on October 8th, Zustìssia , the feature film debut by Francesco Piras , hit Italian cinemas on October 15th. Fabrizio Ferracane and Michele Riondino star in the story of Beniamino Zuncheddu, who spent 33 years in prison as an innocent man.

After competing in the Locarno Film Festival's International Competition, Salvatore Mereu 's Alberi Errant (Wandering Trees) is appearing in Alice nella Città, a parallel section of the Rome Film Fest. Based on Alberto Capitta's novel, the new film by one of Sardinia's most celebrated filmmakers is produced by Viacolvento with Rai Cinema and supported by the Film Commission. It will be released in Sardinian theaters on October 22nd and in the rest of Italy on the 29th.

On October 17, at the MAXXI Auditorium, the Rome Film Fest hosted the world premiere of Alessandra Usai 's Eva Mameli Calvino. The Lady of the Flowers . The documentary, produced by Nical Films with Luce Cinecittà and supported by the Region, restores the spotlight to the Sassari botanist, a pioneer of research and women's emancipation, beyond Italo Calvino's label of "mother." The film features 29 Sardinian professionals: 55% of the crew is made up of women, as are eight out of ten department heads.

Also at the Festival, in the Freestyle section, is "177 Days. The Kidnapping of Farouk," a series by Carlo Carlei starring Marco Bocci and Antonia Desplat, produced by Rai Fiction and Bim Produzione. The story centers on a story that held the entire country in suspense: the kidnapping of little Farouk Kassam, abducted on the Costa Smeralda in 1992 and held captive for 177 days.

On October 10th, Artecinema, an international film festival on contemporary art, presented the world premiere of Vittoria Soddu's Costantino Nivola. Una die de pitzinnia . The documentary explores the childhood and relationship with Sardinia of the Orani-born artist, who later established himself in the United States.

Also planned for release in 2026 is the documentary Looking For Nivola by Peter Marcias , presented at the MAXXI in Rome in October 2025 and included among the finalists of the Nastri d'Argento in February 2026.

Meanwhile, the November release of Dal Nulla , a thriller by Joe Juanne Piras starring Selene Caramazza, Riccardo Lai, and Lucho Velasco, is approaching. Shot in the forests and mountains of Barbagia, the film tells the story of a writer's return to the places of her childhood, where the death of a young girl and the disappearance of several children hide disturbing mysteries. An Italian-Canadian co-production by La Sarraz Pictures.

Grown Ups 3 , a Hollywood comedy starring Adam Sandler and destined for Netflix, is being filmed in Gallura, between Costa Smeralda, Golfo Aranci, and Olbia, the film commission announced. Panorama Films is the Italian executive producer.

Filming is underway in Villasimius for Two Hearts for Rent , a Prime Original series based on the bestseller by Felicia Kingsley, directed by Laura Chiossone with Jacqueline Luna Di Giacomo and Giacomo Gianniotti.

On Asinara, from October 5th to early November, Margherita Panizon 's Lo sconsegnato , produced by Dorje Film, is being filmed: in this case too, the island's prison past becomes an essential part of the story.

(Unioneonline/AD)

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