La nostra Comunità Italiana
At percorsoItaliano, we value experiences where students feel comfortable learning and practicing Italian beyond the classroom. We think that spending time with Italians and be involved in the Italian community is the best way to be immersed in the language.
Our mission is not only to teach our beautiful language, but to be involved in the Italian community in Seattle and promote the language and culture.
percorsoItaliano is proud to be part of wonderful organizations operating in the Seattle area.
Discover upcoming Italian events and keep up with your Italian!
NEWS FROM “CINEMA ITALIAN STYLE” FILM FESTIVAL
A PROJECT CLOSE TO OUR HEART:
Help keep Italian Cinema alive in Seattle!
CALL FOR DONORS AND SPONSORS
“Cinema Italian Style” Film Festival – Seattle, November 12–16, 2025
Let’s keep this 17-year tradition going strong!
Carissimi studenti ed amici
percorsoItaliano is honored to have been a long-time supporter of “Cinema Italian Style”. For many years, we have proudly supported and promoted this celebration of Italian cinema, recognizing its vital role in sharing Italian culture, language, and artistry.
This year marks an exciting new chapter for “Cinema Italian Style”. After 17 successful years under the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), the festival is now independently organized and managed by the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association (SPSCA) and Il Punto, in close collaboration with the University of Washington, the Honorary Consulate of Italy in Seattle, and the Institute of Italian Culture in San Francisco. SIFF remains a valued partner and host venue, but the leadership, planning, and fundraising now rest fully with our community-based organizations.
As the festival enters an exciting new chapter led by our local community, we are more committed than ever to supporting its mission and sharing the richness of Italian film with students, friends, and the broader public.
From November 12-16, 2025, we will feature 10 critically acclaimed Italian films at a SIFF venue. This festival is not only a showcase of Italian artistry but also a vibrant expression of the ties between Italy and the Pacific Northwest. Your generous sponsorship can ensure CIS continues to thrive by supporting essential costs such as film licensing, venue rental, technical services, and marketing.
Your contribution is tax-deductible through SPSCA, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We welcome sponsorships of all levels, and every donation makes a meaningful difference in bringing this beloved festival to life.
To learn more and to DONATE, please click here: Cinema Italian Style
We thank you for considering this opportunity to support the arts and strengthen cultural connections between Seattle and Italy.
Let’s keep this beloved tradition alive, together.
ARE YOU A BUSINESS INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP?
Check out the Sponsorship package outlining opportunities and benefits, ranging from opening night recognition and VIP passes to marketing visibility across all our joint channels.
Please note that there are different benefits based on the level of your donation
Grazie mille for helping us celebrate Italian culture through film!
Il nostro aiuto alla comunità
Our mission is not only to teach our beautiful language, but to be involved in the Italian community in Seattle and promote the language and culture. percorsoItaliano is proud to be part of wonderful organizations operating in the Seattle area:
SPSCA (THE SEATTLE-PERUGIA SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION)
Seattle and Perugia have shared a special relationship for quite some time, and this was cemented with the founding of the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association back in 1991. The SPSCA puts on a variety of educational events every year including book talks, wine tastings, film dinners, and more. Individual membership is only $25 a year, and there are many benefits such as information about local Italian events, the opportunity to win a scholarship to study in Perugia, and, most important, the chance to help promote cultural exchange between these two communities. You could be the next candidate for the Perugia scholarship, so if you're interested in joining, please sign up on the SPSCA website here.
PIAZZA PERUGIA
Since 2017, Seattle has a new park dedicated to Perugia, as a symbol of Seattle and Perugia sister-city friendship. It is located In Madison Valley at East Harrison St. and Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us at the dedication event. This is a great way to celebrate the longstanding sister-city friendship of these two cities.
An Umbrian ceramic arts studio, L'Antica Deruta, designed and created decorative tiles that were installed in the piazza by Nadine Edelstein, a tile artist from Vashon Island. The director of L'Antica Deruta, Giorgio Moretti, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as both Seattle and Perugia's mayors.
CASA ITALIANA
We are pleased to announce to our community of students and friends that the Italo American and Italian Community in Seattle have fulfilled a lifelong dream: to have a Casa Italiana, an Italian Cultural Center for all.
It is the CASA for all Italians and Italian organizations in the Pacific Northwest, a space for social and cultural gatherings, and the future Italian Heritage Museum.
CASA is also hosting the Biblioteca Italiana Seattle (BIS), the Italian library, and the Honorary Consulate Office.
Its mission statement is “to plan, promote and carry on charitable, educational, and cultural activities, which serve the welfare of the community and to preserve the rich tradition of Italian culture by sponsoring lectures, classes, conferences, study groups, culinary events, mentorship programs, and scholarships…”
Land for the Casa Italiana Italian Cultural Center, which is located at 13028 1st Avenue South in Burien, was purchased at the beginning of the Fall of 2020 thanks to Casa, il Punto, and many private donors who continue to support the creation of a physical space dedicated to all things Italian.
We are so excited about this accomplishment and hope that together we will be able to support Casa Italiana Italian Cultural Center with our community involvement and donations. To learn more about Casa and donate, you can visit the website. Any donation will make a difference. Grazie!
We thank all of those who have contributed to this dream and who will contribute in the future. If you are interested in learning more about Casa, please read this interesting article by Rita Cipalla in L’Italoamericano.
Elisabetta Valentini - Honorary Consul of Italy in Seattle.
Consolato Onorario d’iTALIA A caSA ITALIANA
The team of percorsoItaliano is very proud about what our own Elisabetta Valentini is doing for the Italian community in Seattle. Brava Elisabetta!
For more information on the Italian Consolate of Seattle, please visit their page.
Honorary Consul/Console Onorario:
Ms. Elisabetta VALENTINI
E-mail:
seattle.onorario@gmail.com
Website:
https://conssanfrancisco.esteri.it/Consolato_SanFrancisco/en/
Tel:
+1-206-765-8584
Address:
13028 First Ave S., Burien WA 98168
Hours/Orario:
By appointment – su appuntamento
IL PUNTO
Il Punto (“the point”) is intended to be il punto d'incontro (“the meeting point”) for all Italians, Italian-Americans, and people passionate about Italy and it’s culture, language, cinema, and music. Il Punto offers small Italian conversation groups twice a month for different levels. This is a great opportunity for students to practice conversation in a casual setting at next to no cost. They also offer language classes for children. Please visit Il Punto’s website for more information.
Other community involvement
SIFF (SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
SIFF is renowned for its annual international film festival, attracting moviemakers and film lovers to the big screen every spring for a great selection of films. We like to spotlight the Italian films at the festival by promoting them with students and friends of percorsoItaliano.
In addition to its international festival held every May/June, SIFF features Italian movies at Cinema Italian Style every November. percorsoItaliano has been a sponsor of this festival for several years now, and we believe they do excellent work promoting the Italian culture through a wide range of films.
Whether you are taking our film class at percorsoItaliano or you are just interested in cinema, watching Italian films is a great way to learn more about the culture and hear the language in a natural setting. SIFF is one of the country's most recognized film festivals and does an incredible job of choosing movies that represent different countries around the world. We encourage you to attend other movies as well, as we are very proud of how SIFF carefully selects films that will enhance your understanding of the world. Please visit SIFF’s website to learn more about its great work.
We are also proud to support SIFF - Cinema Italian Style. The film festival occurs annually and promotes Italian films. For more information, please visit SIFF Cinema Italian Style.
Buona visione!
“Una lingua diversa è una diversa visione della vita.”
-Federico Fellini