Mario Martone and Toni Servillo unveil new Italian films at Venice and Naples

Director Mario Martone and actor Toni Servillo have released two new Italian films. "Qui rido io" portrays the life of 19th‑century playwright Eduardo Scarpetta and premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where Toni Servillo appears in a leading role. The film was distributed in cinemas just two days after its festival showing.

The duo’s next project, "Scherzetto," adapts Domenico Starnone’s novel and is being shot on location in Naples, turning the city into a central character. Servillo plays the solitary elderly illustrator Daniele Mallarico, whose routine is disrupted by his lively five‑year‑old nephew, portrayed by Lorenzo Perrotta. The cast also includes Serena Rossi, Leonardo Di Majo, Gianluca Di Gennaro and Giovanni Ludeno. The production has attracted local attention as the set transforms parts of Naples into an open‑air film set.