Cinema Above Venice at Hilton Molino Stucky this September
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice is set to delight film fans and visitors to Venice with a series of theatrical experiences not to be missed during this year’s Venice Film Festival.
There are few cities where cinema feels as naturally at home as it does in Venice. With its labyrinth of canals, faded palazzi and shimmering lagoon light, La Serenissima has long provided an unforgettable setting for filmmakers, actors and audiences from around the world. On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Hilton Molino Stucky Venice will celebrate this enduring relationship with an exclusive Rooftop Movie Night combining award-winning cinema, contemporary gastronomy and panoramic views across the city.
Created for guests and locals seeking a more intimate festival-inspired experience, the event will unfold on the hotel’s rooftop terrace, high above the waters of the Venetian Lagoon. With only 30 seats available, the evening promises the atmosphere of a private screening, enhanced by a specially curated dinner, wine and cocktail pairings, and the spectacle of Venice illuminated after sunset.
A cinematic setting above the lagoon
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice occupies one of the city’s most distinctive buildings: a former flour mill on the island of Giudecca. Its impressive industrial architecture offers a striking contrast to the historic domes, bell towers and terracotta rooftops visible across the water.
The hotel’s panoramic rooftop terrace is among its most atmospheric spaces. By day, it reveals a sweeping portrait of Venice; by evening, the city becomes even more evocative, with lights reflecting across the lagoon and familiar landmarks appearing almost theatrical against the night sky.
It is a setting that lends itself perfectly to an open-air movie experience. Rather than entering a conventional cinema, guests will watch the film beneath the stars, surrounded by the silhouettes and sounds of one of the world’s most cinematic cities.
The evening will begin with a welcome glass of Ferrari Perlé Brut Trento DOC, setting an elegant tone before dinner. This refined sparkling wine from Trentino will offer a fresh introduction to a night designed around flavour, atmosphere and visual storytelling.
A menu created for the occasion
Executive Chef Ivan Fargnoli has created a multi-course menu especially for Rooftop Movie Night. The dinner brings together premium seafood, seasonal ingredients and expressive contrasts, with each course accompanied by a carefully considered drink pairing.
The experience begins with Atlantic scallops in seasoned breading, served with porcini mushroom demi-glace, salicornia, chilli and yoghurt. The sweetness of the scallops is balanced by the earthy intensity of the mushrooms, the coastal salinity of the salicornia and the cooling acidity of the yoghurt.
The course will be paired with a St-Germain Pop, a bright and aromatic cocktail intended to complement the dish without overwhelming its more delicate flavours.
The main course continues the maritime theme with lobster tail in red clam sauce, accompanied by potatoes, legumes and crisp green celery. Rich and elegant, the lobster is given additional depth by the clam sauce, while the vegetables introduce freshness and texture.
It will be served alongside a St. Negroni, a creative interpretation of one of Italy’s most recognisable cocktails. The pairing brings a subtly bitter and botanical dimension to the plate, reflecting the menu’s blend of Italian tradition and contemporary experimentation.
Dessert offers a lighter, more playful conclusion. A strawberry crémeux with basil and strawberry infusion will be served with goat’s cheese ice cream. The result promises an intriguing balance of sweetness, herbal freshness, fruit acidity and gentle savoury notes.
The dessert will be accompanied by a Rossy cocktail, completing a sequence in which every drink has been selected as part of the culinary narrative rather than presented as a simple accompaniment.
Silent cinema under the stars
As dinner unfolds, guests will receive individual headphones for an immersive silent-cinema experience. This format preserves the intimacy of the screening while allowing the natural atmosphere of the rooftop and the wider city to remain undisturbed.
The film selected for the evening is The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos’s acclaimed 2018 period drama. Set in the court of Queen Anne in early 18th-century England, the film follows the rivalry between Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and her cousin Abigail Hill as both compete for proximity to the monarch.
Starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, The Favourite is celebrated for its dark humour, unconventional visual style and sharp exploration of ambition, intimacy and power. Its lavish interiors, elaborate costumes and deliberately unsettling camerawork create a world that is both historically recognisable and unmistakably contemporary.
The choice carries particular meaning in Venice. The film premiered in competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, where it received the Grand Jury Prize, also known as the Silver Lion. Olivia Colman was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her portrayal of Queen Anne, a performance that later earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Screening the film above Venice therefore creates a natural connection to the city’s cinematic legacy. It is not simply an outdoor movie night, but a celebration of a work whose international journey was shaped, in part, by its reception at one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.
An intimate festival-inspired evening
With dinner beginning at 20:30 and the film scheduled to start at 21:00, Rooftop Movie Night has been designed as a seamless evening rather than two separate experiences. Food, cocktails, architecture and cinema will come together as the city transitions from sunset into night.
The limited capacity is central to the event’s appeal. With just 30 places available, guests can expect an atmosphere closer to a private cultural gathering than a large public screening.
For visitors to Venice, it presents an opportunity to experience the city from a different perspective—away from the crowded squares and narrow streets, and high above the lagoon. For locals, it offers a refined way to reconnect with a familiar skyline through gastronomy and cinema.
In a city that has turned arrival, spectacle and storytelling into an art form, Rooftop Movie Night captures something quintessentially Venetian: a sense of beauty that is at once historic, theatrical and fleeting.
Event details
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Dinner: 20:30
Film screening: 21:00
Film: The Favourite (2018), directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Location: Rooftop Terrace, Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Capacity: 30 guests
Price: EUR 150 per person
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