by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Alan Jones, director of the Trieste Science + Fiction Festival
The 26th edition of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival continues Friday, Nov. 6, with a full program of film premieres, industry events and special guests, including Mauro Repetto, co-founder of the Italian pop group 883, who will present his first science-fiction novel.
The festival, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 8, will feature international and Italian premieres across several venues, alongside a tribute to filmmaker Roger Corman and events exploring the relationship between technology, politics and contemporary society.
Among Friday’s highlights is the presentation of Repetto’s novel, Election Day 2067, published by Acheron. The science-fiction thriller imagines a post-cyberpunk Rome transformed into a vast global amusement park, where artificial intelligence blurs the boundaries between reality and simulation. The story explores the future of democracy, political manipulation and the erosion of human identity.
Repetto will introduce the book at 6:30 p.m. at Sala Xenia. At 9 p.m., he will also appear at Teatro Miela for a live edition of adessocapiamo, an interview and discussion project hosted by writer and presenter Lorenzo Luporini.
Film premieres across Trieste
Friday’s screenings begin at 11 a.m. at Cinema Ariston with the international premiere of The Renaissance of Oddity Todd, directed by Noah Marks (United States, 2026). The science-fiction adventure follows a young orphan who discovers extraordinary powers connected to the vibrations of the universe and becomes involved in a mission to save humanity from an authoritarian future.
At 3 p.m. at Politeama Rossetti, the Italian premiere of DreamQuil, directed by Alex Prager (United States, 2026), will feature Elizabeth Banks, John C. Reilly and Juliette Lewis. The film follows a mother who, after attending a retreat focused on digital wellness, discovers that a robot has taken her place.
The world premiere of Saligia, by Serbian director Petar Ristovski (Serbia, 2026), is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Rossetti. The film follows seven strangers who awaken after an apocalypse in a dimension outside time, where they must confront their pasts and questions about existence.
At 5:30 p.m. at Cinema Ariston, the festival will screen Like Any Other Mortal, a documentary by María Molina Peiró (Netherlands/Spain, 2026). The film draws parallels between a robot searching for life on a distant planet and scientists investigating an ancient mining region in Andalusia, examining resource exploitation, technological progress and the relationship between humanity and nature.
The Italian premiere of Rain Catcher, by Udine-born filmmaker Michele Fiascaris (United Kingdom, 2026), will take place at 8 p.m. at the Rossetti. The psychological thriller follows a London photographer who repeatedly finds the image of a mysterious woman in his nighttime photographs, leading him into an increasingly unsettling investigation.
At 10:30 p.m., Cinema Ariston will host the Italian premiere of Yellow Cake, directed by Tiago Melo (Brazil, 2026). Combining dark humor and political satire, the film imagines an experiment designed to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes that triggers a catastrophe in northeastern Brazil.
Also at 10:30 p.m., the Rossetti will screen Exit 8, directed by Genki Kawamura (Japan, 2025). Based on the popular video game of the same name, the psychological thriller follows a man trapped in an apparently endless underground passageway who must identify even the smallest anomalies to find his way out. The screening is part of IVIPRO 2026, with the film distributed in Italy by Adler Entertainment.
Tribute to Roger Corman
The festival will continue its tribute to American filmmaker and producer Roger Corman, marking the centenary of his birth.
At 8:30 p.m. at Cinema Ariston, the program will feature Gas, fu necessario distruggere il mondo per poterlo salvare, a film reflecting Corman’s irreverent and countercultural approach to filmmaking.
The screening will be introduced by Julie Corman, the filmmaker’s wife and a producer, who will attend the festival to discuss his work and cinematic legacy.
Video games, science and education
Friday will also feature the IVIPRO DAYS 2026, an international gathering examining how video games can be used to tell stories about places, cultural heritage and contemporary society.
Events will take place in the morning at Urban Center and from 2:30 p.m. at Teatro Miela. This year’s program will bring together international perspectives on the role of video games in exploring political and social issues, historical memory and cultural identity, as well as the economic and professional dimensions of the gaming industry.
The festival’s Education Program will include an astronomy workshop for children ages 10 and older. Titled From Measuring Time to AI: A Look at the Sky Over Trieste, the session will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Astronomical Observatory on Via Tiepolo 11.
Organized by Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the workshop will explore how astronomy has evolved, from traditional observational instruments to modern technologies and artificial intelligence. Participation costs 5 euros per child.
Special screening of Alpha
The evening program at Teatro Miela will continue at 10 p.m. with a screening of Alpha, presented by IWONDERFULL.
Directed by Julia Ducournau, whose previous film Titane received international attention, the new work follows a 13-year-old girl whose life changes after she gets a tattoo, in a world gripped by fear of a mysterious virus.
A selection of films from the festival’s 26th edition will also be available online from Nov. 6 to 16 through SciFiClub.it, the festival’s science-fiction streaming platform, as part of the MYmovies ONE package.
