The Pope has invited a special audience with global filmmakers and actors, the Chicago-born pontiff highlights cinema’s power to inspire empathy and reveals his four all-time favorite movies.
Pope Leo XIV has invited a remarkable cross-section of international filmmakers and actors to the Vatican for a special audience focused on cinema’s unique ability to shape culture, illuminate human dignity, and explore moral truth. According to the Holy See’s official announcement, the gathering is intended to foster a deeper dialogue between the Church and contemporary storytellers at a moment when visual storytelling influences global perspectives more than ever.
The world of film will be represented by an impressive roster of artists who have confirmed their participation. Those attending include Gianni Amelio, Roberto Andò, Judd Apatow, Francesca Archibugi, Marco Bellocchio, Monica Bellucci, Wang Bing, Cate Blanchett, Stéphane Brizé, Sergio Castellitto, Liliana Cavani, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Abel Ferrara, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Matteo Garrone, Dag Johan Haugerund, Emir Kusturica, Spike Lee, George Miller, Gaspar Noé, Ferzan Özpetek, Paweł Pawlikowski, Giacomo Poretti, Stefania Sandrelli, Albert Serra, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Gus Van Sant.
Ahead of the event, the Vatican also released Pope Leo XIV’s list of four all-time favorite films, each chosen for its emotional resonance and humanistic themes. His selections include It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Life Is Beautiful, and the Chicago-made classic Ordinary People, Robert Redford’s 1980 drama filmed largely in the northern suburb of Lake Forest.
For Chicago’s production community, the recognition is a meaningful nod, a hometown film elevated to global attention by the Pope, and placed alongside some of the most iconic works in cinematic history.
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