From December 1 to 6, 2025, the city of Milan is set to host the 35th edition of Noir in Festival, now a staple for lovers of the noir genre -- spanning film, literature, comics, and new media. Having solidified its Milanese roots in recent years, the festival’s 2025 edition promises a blend of tradition and freshness, featuring international guests, innovation in narrative forms, and a city that, by night, transforms into the perfect stage for stories of shadow and suspense.
Context and new features
The festival is promoted by the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the MiC, in collaboration with IULM University, under the patronage of the City of Milan and with support from public and private partners.
Artistic direction -- entrusted to Giorgio Gosetti and Marina Fabbri -- maintains the approach of uniting cinema and literature, but also comics, podcasts, and serial storytelling.
This year’s highlights include a stronger presence of comics and new media (podcasts, graphic novels) in the lineup, and an expanded jury for the literary awards, making the festival increasingly "horizontal" and audience-driven.
The Milanese atmosphere -- between the late autumn’s illuminated streets and the city’s noir stage settings -- makes everything even more evocative: Milan as a city-theater for stories of shadow.
Guests and awards
As tradition dictates, the festival awards the prestigious Raymond Chandler Award to a major figure in international noir literature; for 2025, it has been announced that it will go to Mick Herron, author of the "Slough House" saga, which inspired the TV series "Slow Horses".
In Italian literature, the Giorgio Scerbanenco Prize remains a benchmark for the best Italian noir novel of the year, with new participation opportunities: librarians and readers from Milan’s Library System will join the jury.
On the film side‑special events, restoration, graphic novels, and podcasts will be integrated into the traditional program, creating a rich and layered schedule.
Films in the lineup
For the cinema section, Noir in Festival 2025 once again presents an international and competitive selection. For the 2024 edition, there were already talks of ten films in the official selection, eight of which competed for the Black Panther Award, hailing from ten different countries, with five Italian premieres and five debuts.
Announced titles included:
- "Presence", a thriller by Steven Soderbergh
- "The Girl with the Needle" by Magnus von Horn
- "Dedalus" by Gianluca Manzetti, with Matilde Gioli and Gianmarco Tognazzi
- "Sons" by Gustav Möller
- "La Infiltrada" by Arantxa Echevarría
For the 2025 edition, a similar formula is expected: international selection, Italian premieres, feature films in competition, and perhaps a few surprises in the comics and podcast lineup. The opening film in the past was the series "Gangs of Milano -- Le nuove storie del Blocco" (out of competition) featuring rapper Salmo; the closing slot was given to the comedy "Fatti vedere" by Tiziano Russo. In short, for film buffs and genre fans, it will be a real "battleground" to discover new talents and narratives steeped in shadow.
Why attend
Attending Noir in Festival is not just about watching films: it’s about immersing yourself in a community. Discussing after a screening, meeting literary authors, attending comic and podcast presentations, discovering that "noir" is not just about cops and shootouts, but can mean domestic unease, fragmented society, formal experimentation, seriality. The festival transforms Milan into a "city of mystery": among bookstores hosting events, screening rooms becoming places for cultural exchange, comics in dialogue with literature and film.
A few practical tips
- Book early: screenings and guest events sell out quickly.
- Arrive a bit in advance: venues are often in evocative city locations, perfect for a "noir-style" aperitif before the show.
- Take advantage of related events: comics, podcasts, and literature will be integrated --- so come eager to discover "something else" beyond the films.
- If you love the genre, keep an eye on the finalists and awards: they’re great opportunities to discover new voices and new ways of storytelling.