Italian Film Festival USA of Cleveland

Schedule of Events

7pm: The Trainers

Pasquale is a struggling dog trainer who dreams of opening his own canine training center. When his ex-wife bests him in a competition, she takes custody of his beloved and talented border collie, Cecchino. With his life falling apart and his money running out, Pasquale organizes an emergency dog training class. But his flyer ends up being misunderstood by several parents who bring their unruly children to the week-long session instead of their dogs. The misunderstanding will turn into a fun journey, and through laughter and challenges, both Pasquale and the children will learn the true values of friendship, respect, and caring for one another.

9pm: A World Apart

After forty years of teaching in the urban jungle of Rome, primary schoolteacher Michele Cortese moves to an idyllic village in the heart of the Abruzzo National Park to teach at a small school with only a handful of students aged seven to ten. He struggles to overcome the challenges of small-town life but finds a friendly face in vice-principal Agnese and gradually adapts, thanks to her and their spirited pupils. However, when all seems well, unwelcome news arrives: the school has failed to meet its enrollment quota for the next year and will be forced to close. Thus begins a race against time to save the school…whatever it takes!