Marco Bonini Brings the Autobiographical Novel Se Ami Qualcosa Dillo to Cinemas
Actor and filmmaker Marco Bonini makes his feature directorial debut with If you love someone, say it (If You Love Someone, Say It), arriving in Italian cinemas on October 16, 2026. Distributed by Vision Distribution and produced by No Name Entertainment alongside Alea Film in collaboration with Sky, the film adapts Bonini’s 2019 autobiographical novel published by Longanesi.
The film features Sergio, played by Edoardo Leo, and Gabriella, played by Claudia Gerini, as reported by Libero. Transported to the hospital in critical condition, Sergio is joined in the waiting room by his 18-year-old son Giulio, played by Biagio Venditti, and his ex-wife Alba, played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno. After falling into a coma, Sergio wakes up with a completely reset brain that erases his prior knowledge and memories, transforming a harsh, patriarchal man into an innocent figure who must learn everything anew.
Edoardo Leo and the Real-Life Inspiration Behind Sergio
Edoardo Leo accepted the starring role and served as a producer on the project after a lifetime of proximity to the real-life events. Leo and Marco Bonini grew up as childhood friends in Rome from the age of nine, and Leo was present when Bonini’s father suffered his series of heart attacks and underwent his subsequent recovery, Corriere della Sera reported. Initially hesitant to play the father of his lifelong friend, Leo eventually agreed after Bonini insisted he take the part.
To craft the screenplay, Bonini worked alongside veteran screenwriter Francesco Bruni, whose credits include Ovosodo, August holidays, and It’s 7 and 8. Bonini deliberately chose to bring in an external writing partner rather than script the adaptation alone, wanting an objective perspective on a deeply personal family history.
Screenings and Expanded Release Plans in Florence
Following its premiere at the Rome Film Fest within the Alice nella Città section, the film expands its theatrical footprint across Italy. In Florence, the Cinema Adriano located at Via Romagnosi 46 has scheduled screenings of If you love someone, say it from October 16 through October 21, 2026, reserving the screening room on the intervening Monday, according to the Portale Giovani of the Municipality of Florence.
The expanded ensemble cast for the cinematic release includes Thomas Trabacchi, Clemente Pernarella, Daniela Virgilio, Luisa De Santis, Pietro De Silva, and Antonia Di Francesco. The theatrical rollout coincides with Bonini’s broader cultural output for the autumn of 2026, which includes the publication of his essay Men, every man for himself! with Santelli Editore, a text that dismantles patriarchal narratives through five popular cultural myths.
Literary Background and Career Highlights
Born in Rome in 1972, Marco Bonini holds a degree in philosophy and works across cinema, theater, and television as an actor, screenwriter, filmmaker, and writer. Before releasing If you love someone, say it as his debut novel with Longanesi in 2019, Bonini collaborated with Edoardo Leo on the screenplay for the multi-award-winning 2015 film Us and Giulia, and he received the Elsa Morante acting award in 2019. His subsequent publications include the essay The art of experience published by La Nave di Teseo in 2022, the short story collection If I miss you it’s more beautiful released by Ribalta Edizioni in 2024, and the novel The loving degree of separation issued by SEM in 2025. In addition to his writing and filmmaking, Bonini is known to audiences as one of the stars of Sydney Sibilia’s successful trilogy I stop when I want and as the lead in Paolo Genovese’s acclaimed stage version of Perfect strangers.
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