Congratulations to Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian, Luca Peretti, who wrote and produced the film "Mister Wonderland" (dir. Valerio Ciriaci, 2019), which just won the “Theatrical distribution Award: Il cinemino". The film was presented at the Festival dei Popoli (Florence, 2-9 November. 2019), one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals of documentary films in the world.

The film recounts the remarkable story of Sylvester Z. Poli, a humble artisan who emigrated from Italy to the U.S. at the end of the 19th century and became the most important independent film theater owner of his time. The film chronicles his journey from rural Tuscany to the Roaring Twenties, from the beginnings of cinema to Classical Hollywood. Crossing continents and generations, “Mister Wonderland” sets out to find what remains today of Poli theaters and the communities they used to serve. By telling the story of S.Z. Poli the film wants to recall many other forgotten stories of migration.