Duino, the feature directorial debut of co-directors actor-singer Juan Pablo Di Pace (Mamma Mia!) and Andrés Pepe Estrada, editor of the Oscar-nominated Argentine film Argentina, 1985, will have its New York premiere at the 36th edition of NewFest: New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival.
This spellbinding and self-reflexive tale follows Matias (played by Di Pace himself), an Argentine filmmaker struggling with an unfinished movie inspired by his elusive first love—a Swedish friend he met at a boarding school in 1997. Their strong friendship is defined by tenderness and fascination but is abruptly cut short when Alexander is suddenly expelled, leaving young Matias with a story of undeclared emotions.
Twenty-five years later, Matias decides to reopen Pandora’s box, coming face-to-face with Alexander and discovering life imitating art as he confronts the sneaky power of memory. By revisiting his past, Matias might find a new ending to the story of unrequited first love.
Duino, named after the picturesque Italian coastal town where the fictional boarding school is set, had its world premiere at the Turin Lovers Film Festival—the oldest LGBT-themed festival in Europe—where it won the Young Lovers Jury, Matthew Shepard Award, and the Audience Award. It later made its successful North American theatrical debut at Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
Duino is a visual and emotional tour de force that celebrates the beauty of friendship, the intensity of love, and the formative experience of growing up and finding family acceptance. Drawing deeply from his own life, Di Pace crafts a story that movingly captures the universal ache of first love and its lasting impact.
Through the use of flashbacks and a clever meta-narrative, the film reimagines the classic gay coming-of-age tale, offering audiences a fresh and deeply personal take on passionate memories of a lover who remains just out of reach. Tender and evocative, Duino is both a heartfelt exploration of unrequited love and an emotional journey of self-discovery.
The film has played numerous film festivals and won multiple prizes, including the Best International Feature Film Award at the Rio LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in Brazil, the Best Feature Award at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and the Best Narrative Feature and Best Director Awards at FilmOut San Diego. More recently, it won the Audience Award and Best Screenplay Award at the OUT at the Movies International Film Festival.
The film will screen on Saturday, October 12, at the SVA Theater, with streaming available from October 10-22 on the festival’s platform. The film will also screen at the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Saturday, October 19 at the Gateway Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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