She Got Balls! (2022), 20 minutes, Cheryl Hess, dir.
A chef’s vegan entry in an annual meatball contest sparks conflict as a South Philadelphia neighborhood grapples with identity, tradition, and change. She Got Balls! is a lively, thought-provoking film about food and selfhood. The rumor circulates that a vegan meatball has won the contest, and the neighborhood “loses its mind,” as on and offline locals debate what it means to preserve tradition while facing gentrification, cultural shifts, and generational change. At once humorous and deeply human, the film is an engaging entry point for discussions about foodways, ethnicity, social media, migration, and urban change.
Mountain Roots (2025), 29 minutes, Mark Pedri and Carrie McCarthy, dirs.
In Mountain Roots, Bennett, an adventurous nine-year-old climber, embarks on a life-changing journey to Trentino, Italy, the land of her ancestors. Having climbed some of the most famous ranges in her home state of Wyoming, she’s no stranger to scaling towering peaks. But this adventure is about more than just summiting mountains—it’s a journey to discover her roots and reconnect with branches of her extended family after being separated for more than 100 years.
Post-screening discussion led by Joseph Sciorra, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.
Marcella Hazan changed the ways we cook and experience Italian food. A disabled woman, trained in natural sciences and biology, Hazan never cooked until she immigrated to America. But through her cookbooks and teaching—and with an uncompromising commitment to Italian culinary traditions—her impact was felt in millions of American home kitchens. Peter Miller is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose previous subjects include Sacco and Vanzetti, Jewish involvement in baseball, and the history of the New York egg cream, among other topics. His new film tells Hazan’s extraordinary, improbable, and delicious story.
Post-screening discussion led by Rocco Marinaccio, Manhattan University.
The Piccirilli Factor is a feature-length documentary exploring the legacy of the Piccirilli Brothers, Italian American sculptors who significantly contributed to shaping New York City’s urban landscape by carving some of its most iconic monuments. From their Bronx studio, they also brought to life national symbols like the Lincoln Memorial, blending artistry and skilled labor into the fabric of American identity. Through rare archival materials and expert interviews, the film reveals a hidden chapter in the story of public art and the collaborative spirit behind the City Beautiful movement.
Post-screening discussion led by Joseph Sciorra, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY.
On October 15, 1915, in the mountains of Western Canada, a tragic work accident ended the life of twenty-eight-year-old Angelo Conte, a young immigrant from Veneto. Throughout the thirty months spent far away from his wife, Anna, Angelo had written to her continually. One hundred years later, Angelo’s love letters, hidden in a drawer, were discovered, giving rise to a new adventure. Nicola Moruzzi, the film’s director and Angelo’s great-grandson, travels to Canada with his partner Irene Vecchio, searching for traces of Angelo’s story. From Italy to Vancouver and finally Revelstoke, where Angelo is buried, the couple uncover his mystery, crossing paths with Canada’s contemporary immigrants, historians, and ordinary citizens.
Post-screening discussion led by Joseph Sciorra, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY.
Dear Sirs (2021), 93 minutes
Mark Pedri, dir.
Filmmaker Mark Pedri had never heard his grandfather Silvio’s story, despite spending nearly every day with him for ten years. It wasn’t until after Silvio’s death that Mark found an archive of old photos, letters, and documents detailing Silvio’s horrifying experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II. The discovery inspired Mark to bike across Europe with his wife, the film’s producer Carrie McCarthy, following the original POW transportation routes, in an effort to better understand his grandfather and tell his story.
Post-screening discussion with the director led by Joseph Sciorra, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY.
