Il Maestro film premieres at Venice 82, explores defeat and mentorship

Andrea Di Stefano's film 'Il Maestro' premiered Out of Competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and will be released in Italian cinemas on November 13, 2025, by Vision Distribution. The coming-of-age story follows 13-year-old Felice (Tiziano Menichelli) on a road trip along the Italian coast with a self-proclaimed former champion, Raul Gatti (Pierfrancesco Favino). Di Stefano stated that unlike typical sports films about winners, he is interested in losers who do not end up on the podium, finding heroism in the ability to dance after defeat. The screenplay, co-written by Ludovica Rampoldi and Di Stefano, matured over twenty years, adding melancholy of failure and missed opportunities. Favino described the film as about two losers who can make a victory, critiquing today's obsession with performance and narcissism. The film is described as a lighthearted Italian comedy with melancholy, not about tennis but about the risk of growing up, the value of teaching, and the courage to get lost.