In the organizer's words:

The Holy Boy

Remis is not considered the happiest village in Italy for nothing: sadness is unknown here and the locals are downright friendly, even to strangers like Sergio, who has just arrived in the remote village as a substitute teacher. But he senses from the very first moment that something sinister is going on here. What is this strange ritual that people gather for every week? And what role does the shy teenager Matteo play in it? Sergio stumbles upon a sinister tradition whose origins nobody questions - and whose price he soon comes to pay himself. Not everyone who smiles is up to no good.

Paolo Strippoli's harrowing tale is entered into cautiously, but then moves purposefully towards a cascade of violence and shocks, captured in magnificent images and accompanied by an overwhelming soundtrack. THE HOLY BOY combines folk horror with existential depth and poses questions about guilt, giving and taking. This is how multi-layered Italian genre cinema works.

///

Remis isn't called the happiest village in Italy for nothing: sadness is unknown here, and the locals are, almost aggressively, friendly - even to outsiders like Sergio, who has just arrived as a substitute teacher to the remote little town. But from the very first moment, Sergio senses that something uncanny is going on.

What is this strange ritual everyone gathers for each week? And what role does the shy teenager Matteo play in it? Sergio uncovers a sinister tradition whose origins are never questioned - and whose price he will soon pay himself. Not everyone who smiles has good intentions.

Paolo Strippoli's unsettling tale begins gently but steadily drives toward a cascade of violence and shocks, captured in magnificent images and underscored by an overwhelming soundtrack. THE HOLY BOY blends folk horror with existential themes, posing questions about guilt, giving, and taking. This is multifaceted Italian genre cinema at its finest.

Film: The Holy Boy (Italy, Slovenia 2025)
Director: Paolo Strippoli
Actors: Michele Riondino, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Paolo Pierobon, Roberto Citran, Giulio Feltri
Screenplay: Jacopo Del Giudice, Paolo Strippoli, Milo Tissone
Duration: 122 min
Language version: Italian OmeU

More info & tickets:

fantasyfilmfest.com

Letterboxd

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube