Moonlit Movie Nights in Rome
Nothing says summer in the Eternal City like a movie under the stars (preferably with a gelato in hand). This month, piazzas, and lush villas transform into open-air cinemas, showing everything from classic flicks, to kid-friendly favorites.
Read on for our top picks of outdoor flicks in the city.
Cinema in Piazza 2025
From June 1st to July 13th, Rome’s piazzas are once again being transformed into a movie theater, as the free outside movie festival, “Il Cinema in Piazza,” has returned to Rome for its 11th year. Just like last year, it will be hosted in four locations: Piazza San Cosimato (June 1 – July 13), Monte Ciocci (June 7 – July 13), Casale della Cervelletta (June 5 – July 13) and Cinema Troisi. The eleventh edition of the festival offers a very rich program; special attention devoted to screenings in the original language (with Italian subtitles) honors the culture of the films by maintaining their authenticity, while simultaneously catering to the diverse tourists and residents living in Rome.
Till July 13, 2025
Piazza San Cosimato; Monte Ciocci; Casale della Cervelletta in Tor Sapienza; Cinema Troisi
Films shown at 9.15pm
Free entry – no reservation required
Casa del Cinema
The summer programming returns to Casa del Cinema, curated by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. Every day, starting at 9:30 PM, the Teatro Ettore Scola, the large open-air arena located in the Villa Borghese Park, will host a free screening. All films are in their original language with subtitles.
In June, the Casa del Cinema will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Teodora Film with a special retrospective: ten titles selected from the prestigious distributor’s catalog. The series, titled “Teodora 25”, will bring some of the finest contemporary European cinema to the big screen, highlighting creativity, art, and freedom. The event will open on Thursday, June 19, and run through June 30.
The July program will be announced soon.
From 10 June until September 2025
Largo Marcello Mastroianni,1 (Villa Borghese)
Films shown nightly, from 9.30pm
Free entry
Sotto le Stelle dell’Austria
The 13th edition of “Under the Stars of Austria,” a festival dedicated to the best of contemporary Austrian cinema, awaits you in the beautiful garden of the Austrian Cultural Forum. Six screenings over four weeks to present you with the latest in Austrian cinema, along with talks with directors. Reservations mandatory via email.
The Programme:
- June 18, 9PM, THE DEVIL’S BATH by Severin Fiala e Veronika Franz
- June 24, 9PM, MOON by Kurdwin Ayub
- June 25, 9PM, GIRLS AND GODS by Arash T. Riahi e Verena Soltiz
- July 1, 9:00 PM, GINA by Ulrike Kofler
- July 2, 9PM, IT’S ALL GOING SOUTH by Pia Hierzegger
- July 8, 9:00 PM, IF YOU ARE AFRAID YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO YOUR MOUTH AND SMILE by Marie Luise Lehner (the movie will be preceded by a meeting with director Marie Luise Lehner).
From June 18 to July 8, 2025
Forum Austriaco di Cultura – Via B. Buozzi 113
9pm
Free entry, mandatory reservation via email at
Notti di Cinema a Piazza Vittorio
At Piazza Vittorio in Esquilino, the 25th edition of “Notti di Cinema a Piazza Vittorio” (Cinema Nights at Piazza Vittorio) returns. From July 12 to September 14, enjoy a wide range of films. Tickets for Italian and European films are just €3.50 each, while international film screenings are €6. This year, take advantage of the Vivi Spettacolo subscription: for only €40, you get 10 entries valid for screenings of Italian, European, and international films.
Check out the full program at www.cinevillageroma.it
from 12 July to 14 September 2025
Piazza Vittorio
9.30pm
€3,50-6,00
Arena CinemaVillage Talenti
Open-air cinema returns to liven up the summer in Rome’s Municipio III with the best Italian, European, and international films from the past season. What makes the initiative shine in the Roman nights isn’t just the most beloved films: directors and cast members will join the screenings for special events.
Check out the full program at www.cinevillageroma.it
from June 16 to August 28, 2025
Largo Sergio Pugliese
9.30pm/10pm
€3,50-5,00
Cinema at the MAXXI
This summer, head to the MAXXI Museum for free screenings. The lineup includes:
- Thursday, July 3: Bohemian Rhapsody by Bryan Singer
- Thursday, July 10: Crazy for Football by Volfango De Biasi
- Thursday, July 17: Any Given Sunday by Oliver Stone
- Tuesday, July 22: Il campione by Leonardo D’Agostini
Don’t miss these cinematic gems!
3, 10, 17, 22 July 2025
Piazza del MAXXI, Via Guido Reni, 4a
9pm
free entrance
maxxi.art/estate-al-maxxi-2025/
Nouvelle Vague sul Tevere
From July 4 to 8, 2025, Nouvelle Vague returns to the Casa del Cinema in Villa Borghese. Look for a touch of Paris in Rome: films, photography, special guests, timeless classics, emerging talents, and live-streamed conversations with the Ville Lumière.
In addition, from July 7 to 15, Villa Massimo will host the photography exhibition Raymond Cauchetier: Stolen Kisses, showcasing works by Raymond Cauchetier, the great visual chronicler of the Nouvelle Vague.
Program:
- July 4 – Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise) by Marcel Carné
- July 5 – Antoinette dans les Cévennes (My Donkey, My Lover & I) by Caroline Vignal
- July 6 – La Récréation de juillet by Pablo Cotten and Joseph Rozé
- July 7 – Les Enfants des Autres (Other People’s Children) by Rebecca Zlotowski
4-8 July 2025
Casa del Cinema, Villa Borghese
9pm/9.30pm
free entrance
Roma Cinema Arena – Parco degli Acquedotti
From June 26 to July 24, 2025, Roma Cinema Arena returns to the Parco degli Acquedotti—Rome’s grand open-air cinema—with 29 films on the program, each presented by directors, actors, artists, and set designers.
The series will open with a screening of Habemus Papam, preceded by a conversation with Nanni Moretti and Paola Bizzarri. The closing night will feature The Two Popes by Fernando Meirelles, introduced by Stefano Maria Ortolani. Among the confirmed guests are Paolo Virzì, Mario Martone, Matteo Garrone, Saverio Costanzo, Alba Rohrwacher, and Carolina Rosi.
26 June – 24 July 2025
Via Lemonia (corner Via Appio Claudio)
9.15pm
Free entrance
Cinema alle mura
Cinema alle Mura, promoted by the Comitato Mura Latine, was born from the desire to create a moment of community sharing, using an inclusive space nestled in the unique setting of the Aurelian Walls. Bring your blankets and cushions, and enjoy the films seated or lying on the grass!
Screening Schedule:
- July 1 – Howl’s Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)
- July 3 – Dry (Siccità, Paolo Virzì, 2022)
- July 8 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
- July 10 – La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016) – Original version with Italian subtitles
- July 15 – Mulan (Walt Disney, 1998)
- July 16 – Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, 2016)
- July 17 – Toy Story (Walt Disney-Pixar, 1995)
- July 22 – Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer, 2018) – Original version with Italian subtitles
- July 24 – My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)
- July 29 – Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)
- July 31 – We All Loved Each Other So Much (C’eravamo tanto amati, Ettore Scola, 1974)
- August 5 – Into the Wild (Sean Penn, 2007)
- August 7 – Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000)
From July 1st to August 7th 2025
Parco delle Mura Aureliane, altezza Via Tracia
9pm
free entrance
Quo Vadis?
Appointment with cinema dedicated to the history of Rome with QUO VADIS?, the initiative that sees two Italian cultural institutions of excellence united for the third time: the CSC – National Film Archive, among the largest international film archives, and the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum. From July 8th to 18th, films dedicated to the delicate relationship between fairy tale and dream, will be screened at the Temple of Venus and Rome (entrance from Piazza del Colosseo). All the films are in original version with subtitles in Italian (or English for movies in v.o. Italian).
Here’s the schedule:
Tuesday, July 8
20.45 Talk with Steve Della Casa
21.15 Sogni d’oro by Nanni Moretti (1981, 105’)
Wednesday, July 9
20.45 Talk with Massimo Gaudioso
21.15 Tale of Tales by Matteo Garrone (2015, 128’
Thursday, July 10
20.45 Talk with Tetyana Filevska e Maria Keil
21.15 Malevych by Daria Onyshchenko (2024, 90’)
Friday, July 11
20.45 Talk with Flavio De Bernardinis
21.15 8½ by Federico Fellini (1963, 138’)
Saturday, July 12
20.45 Talk with Alessandro Rossellini
21.15 Il miracolo by Roberto Rossellini (ep. de “L’amore”, 1948, 42’) and La ricotta Director’s cut by Pier Paolo Pasolini (ep. di “Ro.Go.Pa.G.”, 1963, 38’)
Sunday, July 13
20.45 Talk with Gianrico Tondinelli
21.15 Casotto by Sergio Citti (1977, 106’)
Tuesday 15 luglio
20.45 Talk with David Grieco
21.15 Uccellacci e uccellini by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1966, 85’)
Wednesday, July 16
20.45 Talk with Pedro Armocida
21.15 Favolacce by Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo (2020, 98’)
Thursday, July 17
20.45 Incontro con Paola Minaccioni
a seguire Ma cosa ci dice il cervello di Riccardo Milani (2019, 96’)
Friday, July 18
20.45 Talk with Maria Coletti
21.15 ‘A Santanotte di Elvira Notari (1922, 60’). Live music with M° Michele Catania.
8-18 July 2025
Tempio di Venere e Roma, Piazza del Colosseo
8.45pm
Free entrance, booking recommended on eventbrite.it
Effetto notte
Effetto Notte returns, with 8 days dedicated to Italian cinema of the past, present, and future, accompanied by a rich program of concerts and guided tours of the Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Archaeological Complex.
Eight evenings dedicated to great horror and mystery cinema, featuring films, concerts, talks, and guided tours. A tribute to Dario Argento’s 55-year career, showcasing cult classics and titles where the master appears as both actor and screenwriter. Films on the program include: Once Upon a Time in the West, Blood and Black Lace, Dark Glasses, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Tenebrae, and Phenomena.
July 20-27
Area Archeologica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Piazza di S. Croce in Gerusalemme
Every day at 9pm
Free entry
Villa Medici Film Festival
The Villa Medici Film Festival is back, with its 5th edition, from 10 to 14 September 2025. Programme will be published in the coming weeks.
From 10 to 14 September, 2025
Viale della Trinità dei Monti, 1
9pm
Arene di Roma
Many locations throughout Rome:
ARENA TIZIANO
From June to September 30th, 2025
Via Guido Reni, 2
9.30pm
Entry fee €3 – 4
www.facebook.com/Cinema-Tiziano-sito-ufficiale-159721814065333/
ARENA GARBATELLA
Till September 14th, 2025
Piazza Benedetto Brin
9.20pm
Entry fee €3,5 – 6
ARENA VILLA LAZZARONI
1 July – 15 September 2025
Via Appia Nuova, 522
9.30pm
Entry fee €3,5 – 5
cinevillageroma.it/cinema-arena-villa-lazzaroni/
ARENA NUOVO SACHER
26 June – 27 July 2025
Largo Ascianghi, 1
9.30pm
Entry fee €3,5 – 5
One Response
Hi guys – last night we bought tickets for the Floating Theatre, partly on the strength of the text on this site which reads “The festival will light up the Roman summer with a rich programming of guests, previews, thematic days, screenings of great classics and debuts, films of any genre from all over the world with Italian subtites.” Upon our arrival the movie was dubbed – no subtitles were available. We ended up leaving. Can I recommend you update the page please? Lots of effort for a family to travel out to EUR for no reward. Thanks. Ilse.