In Second post-war Italy, the Jesuit college Antonianum renewed its film initiatives to draw the attention of more audiences. Since its cineforum inauguration, the college has played a key role in shaping local film cultures and has become an institution acknowledged nationally. Pamphlets, diaries, journals, and other ephemeral sources preserved in Jesuits’ archives confirm it by uncovering the venue’s profound influence on some Italian film audiences between the 1940s and 1960s. The article encompasses the outcomes of empirical research in which quantitative and qualitative data were interpreted in a broader cultural-historical framework that sheds light on a forgotten institution and its role in the emergence of film culture in Italy.
Unveiling a Film Institution. The Jesuits’ Antonianum and the Impact on Audiences in Italian Film Culture
Steven Stergar
2026-01-01
Abstract
In Second post-war Italy, the Jesuit college Antonianum renewed its film initiatives to draw the attention of more audiences. Since its cineforum inauguration, the college has played a key role in shaping local film cultures and has become an institution acknowledged nationally. Pamphlets, diaries, journals, and other ephemeral sources preserved in Jesuits’ archives confirm it by uncovering the venue’s profound influence on some Italian film audiences between the 1940s and 1960s. The article encompasses the outcomes of empirical research in which quantitative and qualitative data were interpreted in a broader cultural-historical framework that sheds light on a forgotten institution and its role in the emergence of film culture in Italy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
