The Week of Italian Language in the World (Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo, SLIM) is set to captive global audiences once again, with its 25th edition themed “Italophonia: Language Beyond Borders” taking place from 13 to 19 October 2025.
The annual event has been held since 2001, which over time has become one of the most important initiatives dedicated to the celebration of the Italian language internationally. This cultural celebration is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with its traditional partners in language promotion ((MiC, MIM, MUR, CePeLL, Governo della Confederazione Elvetica, Accademia della Crusca, CGIE, Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona, Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, RAI Italia and Società Dante Alighieri).
Among the many locations hosting this cultural event, Malta will join the celebration with three engaging events presented by the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Institute of Culture of La Valletta, offering locals and visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Italy’s linguistic and artistic legacy.
In malta, the programme opens on Tuesday, 14 October at 6:00 PM at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di La Valletta, with the presentation of a new volume by Italy’s Accademia della Crusca, titled Italophonia: Language Beyond Borders. The book gathers essays on the role of Italian across the world, and the event will feature Professor Joseph M. Brincat from the University of Malta, who will discuss his contribution on the history of Italian in Malta. Joining him will be Professor Annalisa Nesi, one of the book’s editors and Secretary of the Accademia’s Governing Council, as well as Professors Sandro Caruana and Mario Pace from the University of Malta. The event is free and open to the public.
On the following evening, Wednesday, 15 October at 8:30 PM, Italian theatre takes centre stage with EsotericArte, a visually immersive performance by writer and director Elio Crifò. Blending 360° projections with philosophical and poetic narration, the show explores the esoteric and symbolic meanings within Italian art, guiding audiences through works from Dante’s tomb to the mosaics of Ravenna and the cathedrals of Florence and Venice. A second performance will take place on Sunday, 19 October at 5:30 PM, both at Sir Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta. The performance is in Italian with English surtitles and is a ticketed event.
The third event, scheduled for Thursday, 16 October at 6:00 PM, returns to the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di La Valletta, where screenwriter and novelist Lucio Besana will engage in a conversation on contemporary Italian cinema. Co-writer of the Netflix horror film A Classic Horror Story — named one of the top five horror films to stream by The New York Times — Besana will discuss the writing process behind the film, the evolution of Italian genre cinema, and the challenges of international film production. The event, co-organised by the Embassy of Italy in Malta, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Department of Italian and the M.A. in Film Studies at the University of Malta, will be conducted in both Italian and English, and will conclude with a Q&A session.
Together, these events reflect the spirit of this year’s SLIM theme by showcasing Italian as a language of expression that transcends geography, blending tradition with contemporary voices in literature, cinema, and the arts.