In essence, the 9th Italian Film Festival, to be held at the Shangri-La Plaza mall from Oct. 20 to 26, serves as a ?virtual tour? of the revered cinema capital.

It?s like a grand holiday in Italy, and everything is for free.

Emanuela Adesini, cultural attaché of the Italian Embassy, chose films that showcase her country?s diverse landscapes.

?There are films set in Bologna (?Almost Blue?), Rome (?Unsane,? ?Night Before the Exams,? ?Good Morning Heartache?), Florence (?The Stendhal Syndrome?), Milan (?Three Men and a Leg,? ?Ask Me If I?m Happy?), Livorno (?Hardboiled Egg?), Puglia (?The Feast?),? said Adesini. ?One is even set in Greece, on the island of Ios (?Ginger and Cinnamon?).?

For six days, viewers can get a glimpse of ?la dolce vita? through the 15 movies in the lineup?some of which have figured in international film festivals like Cannes, Venice, Vancouver, Sundance, Stockholm, Shanghai, Cairo, Tokyo, Pusan, among others.

Unlike in previous years that saw mainly a collection of classics, this year?s films consist of more popular fare: 11 comedies and four thrillers.

?We wanted films that will show contemporary life in Italy,? Adesini explained. ?These films tackle divorce, parenthood, underemployment, sexuality, politics.?

Still, Adesini didn?t want to disregard the classics. A workshop on Oct. 20 (10 a.m.) at the Premiere Theater of the Shangri-La Plaza mall will discuss the works of Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini. It will be followed by a screening of Visconti?s 1963 film ?The Leopard.?

The Italian Film Festival will also have screenings at the UP Film Institute Videotheque from Nov. 9 to 13.