First up is the festival’s opening night event, L’Inaugurazione sponsored and catered by Torinos’ @ Home with a buffet featuring the restaurant’s signature “fresh takes” on classic Italian fare.  Torinos’ owners Jenna and Daniel John had a great time at last year’s festival, providing scrumptious mini-tiramisu desserts for an event.  

This year they’ve decided to go all-in from soup to nuts on opening night.  If you’ve never been to Torinos’, or if it’s been awhile, come and experience Chef Daniel’s innovative fare, made with the finest, freshest ingredients from local and regional sources.  Pair your buffet selections with a taste of the grape from our Italian wine bar, and enjoy a background of Italian Film music and Pavarotti favorites at   L’Inaugurazione, Tuesday, March 12, The Hiland Theater, 5:00 PM – Buy your tickets here: http://www.italianfestivalsnm.org/films_events.html

Friday is the festival’s featured “Big Night.”  It’s when our own Vice President for Film Selection, Michelle Michelotti Martinez, performs her culinary magic with scratch-made, home-madespuntini (small bites) in a lively, traditional Italian bistro setting, complete with live accordion melodies.  

This year Michela’s Bistrointroduces the apericena.  A growing trend in Italy, the apericena(formed by marrying the Italian word for dinner – cena – to the word aperitivo) is a light, but satisfying dinner made of a variety of appetizers and a glass of wine.  Michelle prepares a banquet for the senses – aesthetically presented and positively mouthwatering - Friday, March 15, The Hiland Theater, 5:00 PM – Buy your tickets here: http://www.italianfestivalsnm.org/films_events.html

Closing day of Festival 2019 takes Il Gran Finale Film & Dining Experience in a whole new direction when Italian Meets Greek at one of Albuquerque’s premier restaurants.  Following the film at the Hiland Theater, Il Gran Finale dinner will be hosted by the festival’s title sponsor, Nick & Jimmy’s, at the upscale restaurant where live opera arias of local soprano Ashli Saenz will evoke a decidedly Italian mood in the Mediterranean atmosphere and enhance the final dinner’s Italian/Greek menu.  A tasteful andtaste-full way to say arrivederci to another great Italian Film & Culture Festival – Il Gran Finale Film & Dining Experience, Sunday, March 17, Nick & Jimmy’s – Buy your tickets here: http://www.italianfestivalsnm.org/films_events.html   

A FOOTNOTE:  Tickets go on sale Sunday, February 10.  Event tickets are advance purchase only.  All three festival events were sold out last year.  Get your tickets early!