The little feast (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The little feast is an 18-minute documentary about Palermo’s Festinello, a small neighborhood celebration rooted in devotion to Saint Rosalia. Set around Via Panneria and Piazza Monte di Pietà, the film follows the people preserving this intimate tradition and its street-banquet culture for future generations.

The little feast, also known by its original title U Festinello, is a documentary set in Palermo’s historic center. Directed by Duilio Scalici, the 18-minute film focuses on a neighborhood tradition connected to Saint Rosalia and the city’s long religious memory.

Rather than presenting Palermo’s larger official Festino, the documentary turns its attention to the smaller Festinello, maintained by a group of roughly twenty people. Its subject is a living local custom shaped by devotion, remembrance, food and community continuity.

The little feast movie details

Story without spoilers

The film traces the origins of the Festinello to the story of Vincenzo Bonelli, who lived in Palermo during the plague of 1624. According to the tradition, Bonelli climbed Mount Pellegrino intending to end his life, where Saint Rosalia appeared to him and entrusted her relics to help save the city.

The documentary connects that religious history with the present-day celebration held around Via Panneria and Piazza Monte di Pietà, near the site of Saint Rosalia’s first votive shrine. The Festinello includes “schiticchielli,” traditional street banquets, and survives through the efforts of a small group of local custodians. The film presents their commitment as an act of cultural preservation rooted in Palermo’s identity.

What to expect

As a short documentary, The little feast offers a focused portrait of place, belief and local heritage rather than a fictional narrative. Its subject combines the history of Saint Rosalia’s devotion with the practical, communal atmosphere of a neighborhood feast.

The supplied description frames the film as both reverent and lively, emphasizing the emotional force of tradition alongside the warmth of street food and collective celebration. Viewers can expect an 18-minute account centered on the people keeping the Festinello alive and the meaning the custom continues to hold in Palermo.

Cast and creative team

The little feast is directed by Duilio Scalici, who also co-wrote the film with Aurora Fiorenza. Gioacchino Tramuto, Nino Micale and Giacomo Lo Giudice appear as themselves, reflecting the documentary’s focus on real participants and community voices rather than fictional characters.

• Gioacchino Tramuto as Himself
• Nino Micale as Himself
• Giacomo Lo Giudice as Himself

Release and production context

The little feast is listed as a 2026 documentary with a release date of September 25, 2026. It has a runtime of 18 minutes and was produced by Film dal sottosuolo. The film’s listed original title is U Festinello. No country or spoken-language details are supplied.

Production companies: Film dal sottosuolo

Movies Dock view

With its compact running time and clearly defined local subject, The little feast is a documentary about the endurance of a Palermo tradition at intimate scale. Its attention to Saint Rosalia, neighborhood ritual and the people preserving the Festinello gives the film a specific cultural focus without separating heritage from everyday community life.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb