Puca (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Set on a summer afternoon in 1990s Italy, Puca follows three sisters whose trip to a local bar becomes a frantic search after the youngest disappears. A fleeting mermaid sighting gives the short film a gently mysterious edge as the siblings confront a turning point in their childhood.

Puca is a 2026 Italian short film written and directed by Sara Scalera, with Antonio Romagnoli also credited as a writer. Running for 14 minutes, it centers on three sisters whose unsupervised summer outing takes an unsettling turn.

The film combines a family story with a brief element of mystery. As the girls search for the youngest sister, an encounter connected to the sea becomes tied to the realization that their childhood is changing.

Puca movie details

Story without spoilers

The story takes place on a summer afternoon in the 1990s, while the sisters’ parents are asleep. Lotti and Malibù, nicknames they use for each other, decide to leave home and visit a local bar associated with the boy they both like. Their youngest sister, Puca, refuses to be left behind and forces her way into the outing.

On the way, Puca claims she has seen a mermaid near the beach. Later, when the older girls lose track of her at the bar, the day becomes a search for the missing child. The sisters’ confrontation helps expose tensions between them, while a brief sighting beneath the waves gives the experience a deeper emotional meaning. The supplied synopsis stops before revealing what happens when they return home to tell their parents.

What to expect

Puca is a compact family drama with a mysterious, possibly fantastical element centered on a mermaid sighting. Its 14-minute runtime points to a focused story rather than an expansive narrative, with the sisters’ relationship and the transition from childhood to adolescence at its core.

The setting—a 1990s summer afternoon, a local bar and the beach—provides an intimate backdrop for the search. The film’s premise suggests a blend of sibling conflict, youthful impulsiveness and emotional change, while keeping the central mystery concise and spoiler-free.

Cast and creative team

Sara Scalera directs Puca and co-writes it with Antonio Romagnoli. The cast includes Annunziata Celeste Vadicamo, Elisa Rosaci, Ludovica Tassoni, Giuseppe Musarelli, Antonio Serranò, Emilia Mariana Buza, Tonino Proietto and Beatrice Stranges. No character names are supplied for the cast members.

• Annunziata Celeste Vadicamo
• Elisa Rosaci
• Ludovica Tassoni
• Giuseppe Musarelli
• Antonio Serranò
• Emilia Mariana Buza
• Tonino Proietto
• Beatrice Stranges

Release and production context

Puca is listed as a 2026 release with a release date of September 8, 2026. It is a 14-minute production from Italy, spoken in Italian. The production companies credited are GM Productions, Limbo film, Hubris Pictures, Red Couch Pictures and Eidos Film. The film is listed as released in the supplied metadata.

Production companies: GM Productions, Limbo film, Hubris Pictures, Red Couch Pictures, Eidos Film

Movies Dock view

With its short format, seaside setting and story about sisters caught between childhood freedom and growing responsibility, Puca presents a concentrated coming-of-age premise. Its emotional focus remains on the girls’ relationship and the significance of the mermaid image, without requiring a larger setting or extended plot.

Film data:
TMDB