Pio Amato, a Romani teen in Calabria, Italy, is desperate to grow up fast. At 14, he drinks, smokes and follows his older brother Cosimo everywhere, learning the skills necessary for life on the streets of their hometown while navigating between its communities of native Italians and African refugees as well as his fellow Romani. But when Cosimo disappears, Pio must set out to prove he is truly ready to become a man in the face of profoundly difficult choices.

In this gritty, neo-realist coming-of-age drama co-executive-produced by Martin Scorsese, writer-director Jonas Carpignano revisits a character from his acclaimed debut Mediterranea (DFF38) to present a slice of life in the multicultural, modern-day Mediterranean south. In September, Italy entered A Ciambra into the competition for Best Foreign Language Film at next year’s Academy Awards.