Pics on Tap.

Italian cinema continues to thrive despite financial challenges, with a diverse range of films in production. Notable upcoming releases include "Basileia," a debut film by Isabella Torre about an archaeologist who awakens ancient forces while exploring a tomb in Southern Italy; "Le deluge," a period drama by Gianluca Iodice set in the Royal Palace of Caserta; "First Life, Then Cinema," a personal film by Francesca Comencini paying homage to her father; "Iddu," a drama about Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro during his fugitive years; "Parthenope," a love letter to Naples by Paolo Sorrentino; "Queer," Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of a William S. Burroughs novel; "The Tearsmith," a young adult romance that became a global hit on Netflix; and an untitled kung fu movie set in Rome's Piazza Vittorio quarter by Gabriele Mainetti. [Extracted from the article]