Cinepanettone: 5 Festive movies to watch around Christmas

For Italians, Christmas isn’t just about family gatherings and festive feasts. It also means diving into Cinepanettone—a uniquely Italian film genre that combines Christmas spirit, slapstick humor, and romantic comedy.

Exactly 40 years ago, a lesser-known Italian cultural phenomenon made its debut. It was December 22, 1983, when the movie Vacanze di Natale hit Italian movie theaters. Directed by brothers Carlo and Enrico Vanzina and produced by Luigi and Aurelio De Laurentiis, the film was set in the snowy backdrop of Cortina d' Ampezzo during the Christmas season. It marked the birth of a new genre that critics initially dismissed but later embraced as “Cinepanettone.” The term merges the words cinema and panettone, the iconic Italian Christmas dessert. Today, watching the latest Cinepanettone release has become a cherished holiday tradition in Italy, almost as beloved as the cake itself. Just as Charles Dickens shaped the modern Christmas celebration and Coca-Cola popularized the image of Santa Claus, the Vanzina brothers crafted the Italian cinematic version of the festive season.

Cinepanettone movies cater to the masses, featuring lowbrow humor, slapstick comedy, and often politically incorrect jokes. A typical Cinepanettone is set during the festive season and stars well-known Italian actors. The plots often revolve around wealthy, bumbling middle-class characters caught up in a series of misadventures, misunderstandings, and romantic entanglements, often in glamorous or exotic locales. Since the first movie, the genre has expanded to include over 30 films with titles like Christmas in India, Christmas in Miami, Christmas in Beverly Hills, and even Christmas on Mars. Two actors, Christian De Sica and Massimo Boldi, have become iconic figures in the genre. 

Here’s our top five recommendations 

Vacanze di Natale (1983)

The concept for Vacanze di Natale originated after the success of another Vanzina film, Sapore di Mare earlier in 1983. Inspired by its success, producers Luigi and Aurelio De Laurentiis proposed a similar film set during Christmas at a ski resort. They cast Jerry Calà as the Lothario piano man who returns to a ski resort in Cortina d’Ampezzo every winter to tinkle the ivories and seduce any female who falls under his spell. The lodge is soon populated by the Covelli family, Northern snobs, and the Marchetti clan, Southern slobs. 

One of the most famous lines of the movie is — “E anche ‘sto Natale, se lo semo levato dalle palle”. which has lived on as a popular phrase used by Italians of all ages.

Vacanze di Natale (1995)

Vacanze di Natale '95 was the first cinepanettone directed by Neri Parenti, and this time it also featured Massimo Boldi, vacationing in Aspen and dealing with his teenage who is obsessed with Dylan from Beverly Hills, 90210. It wasn’t the first time an American star participated in this kind of project, but few did it with the self-irony of Luke Perry, indeed he was flawless at poking fun at himself. 

His interaction with Boldi is priceless, as Boldi claims to be "a fan of his." Perry’s response? “At your age?”

Natale sul Nilo (2002)

Natale sul Nilo is, in many ways, the turning point of the cinepanettone genre, both in terms of box office success and solidifying its formula. This is where the trend of including the vacation destination in the title began, and the supporting cast remained unchanged for three consecutive years. The trailer became iconic, featuring the actors dancing to the hit song Aserejé, also De Sica was brilliant as the unfaithful husband who realizes he accidentally slept with his son's girlfriend. Boldi also delivered a great performance, especially in the famous pyramid scene, complete with a self-deprecating line: “I have a feeling this is going to be crap. In every sense.”

Natale a New York (2006)

This time the story heads overseas to New York, a long-desired destination that was originally planned as the setting for Merry Christmas in 2001. The plot follows Lillo (Christian De Sica), who becomes infatuated with an old flame, and young surgeon Filippo (Fabio De Luigi). With Massimo Boldi no longer in the cast, Neri Parenti fills the gap by introducing Massimo Ghini, who also appear in subsequent cinepanettone films. Parenti also initiates a generational shift, giving more screen time to De Luigi, as well as newcomers like Alessandro Siani, Francesco Mandelli, and Paolo Ruffini. This film, straddling tradition and innovation, is one worth revisiting.

Natale a Rio (2008)

Our final pick is one of the more exotic entries in the cinepanettone series, produced during the period from 2005 to 2020, after De Sica and Boldi went their separate ways. In this new chapter, De Sica teamed up with another Massimo—Massimo Ghini—and together they managed to create six Christmas comedies. 

The story takes everyone to Rio de Janeiro for the Christmas holidays. However, due to their son’s scheming, divorced couple Mario Patani (Massimo Ghini) and Paolo Batani (Christian De Sica) find themselves exploring the vibrant sights and sounds of the favelas. The film offers plenty of amusing moments, with lost-in-translation jokes and a humorous nod to the lively “bumbum” culture.