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    THE NEGOTIATOR

    Directed by Alessandro Tonda
    Italy | 107 minutes | North American Premiere | New Voices New Visions

  

Best of Fest: Audience Favorites!

Film Festival 2026

A riveting real-life thriller, directed with intelligence and compassion, following the negotiations to free an Italian journalist kidnapped by a terrorist cell in Iraq.

film synopsis

The eponymous character is Italian Major General Nicola Calipari, a dedicated intelligence officer, who devotes his life to the fight against organized crime and international counterterrorism operations. Known for his skill in brokering hostage situations and saving lives, he’s the one the government calls in 2005 when Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena is kidnapped by a terrorist cell in Iraq. A riveting real-life thriller, directed with intelligence and compassion.

film details

Director: Alessandro Tonda
Producers: Guglielmo Marchetti, Stefano Bethlen, Joseph Rouschop
Screenwriter: Sandro Petraglia
Cinematographers: Bruno Degrave
Editor: Chiara Vullo
Music: Paolo Vivaldi
Cast: Claudio Santamaria, Sonia Bergamasco, Massimiliano Rossi, Andrea Giannini, Maurizio Tesei
Country: Italy
Language: In Italian with English subtitles
Year: 2025
Running Time: 107 minutes
Premiere Status: North American Premiere
Director Filmography: The Shift (2020)
Awards: Best Film, Golden Globes Italy; Best Actor, Migliore Attore, Golden Globes Italy
Primary Company: Minerva Pictures

Film Festival 2026