A treat for young and old, we are delighted to showcase this new live action version of the classic tale of the wooden puppet who dreams of being a real boy in the eighth edition of the Vancouver Italian Film Festival. Director Matteo Garrone is well known to festival audiences for his acclaimed films Gomorrah, Dogman, and Tale of Tales, and he has outdone himself here with a movie that is darkly gripping, openly emotional, authentic and fantastical. Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful; Down by Law), who made his own version of Pinocchio nearly 20 years ago, now stars as Geppetto.

"A landmark adaptation." Hollywood Reporter

"Something rich and strange and generous." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

"Matteo Garrone’s new Pinocchio brings genuine emotion to one of the most ambitious film adaptations to date of Carlo Collodi’s 1883 kid classic… It’s one of those rare films that can attract mixed age groups… A landmark adaptation." Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter

"A handsome, inventive and extremely satisfying version of the famous story." David Stratton, The Australian