Assault on Florence – a Ghostbusters story is the first Italian “No profit – Charity movie” for charitable purposes created by the cultural association Gens Florentiae (Florence, Italy), thanks to donations received in support of the project and the volunteer commitment of the crew and actors.
The project was born in the summer of 2021 from an idea by Renato Di Marcantonio (screenwriter, actor and President of the association) and shared with director Matteo Piccinini.
Production began in the spring of 2022 and then debuted in theaters with the Premiere on October 31, 2023, immediately recording the first sold-out.
The film’s protagonists
- Dr. Vieri Baldini Venkman (Renato Di Marcantonio)
Nephew of Peter Venkman, heir to a paranormal destiny. - Dr. Cosimo Gori (Marcello Sbigoli)
Classmate, brilliant mind and shrewd investigator. - Dr. Ermanno Galloni (Pietro Canovai)
Assistant, pragmatic and indispensable in the field. - Mr. Sergio (Sergio Forconi)
Castle owner, art collector.
Trailer
Full movie
The mission
The proceeds from screenings during the national tour were donated entirely to the Girotondo per Sempre association, to allow the purchase of the CliniMACS Prodigy.
This medical device allows immunoselection operations of hematopoietic stem cells to be performed in complete safety and with maximum simplicity, also making it possible to perform transplantation of these cells, and consequently increasing the availability of donors for the benefit of young patients in the pediatric hemato-oncology department of Meyer Hospital in Florence.
A concrete contribution, transformed into life-saving technology.
The device has already been delivered, installed and fully operational in the department.
Official “Ghostbusters Give Back” recognition
Ghostbusters Give Back is an official philanthropy initiative launched by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Ghost Corps for Ghostbusters Day 2025 (June 8). The central theme is: “Who Ya Gonna Help?” (instead of the classic “Who Ya Gonna Call?”). The goal is to celebrate and support the many Ghostbusters fan groups that have been doing charity work for decades, turning their passion for the franchise into concrete action to help local communities.
“Ever since fans started putting on flight suits in the ’80s, Ghostbusters groups have popped up across the country to spread joy and raise funds. Every week, there’s a group visiting a children’s hospital or organizing a fundraiser. This year, we want to honor this incredible work and support it with some healthy competition.”
(Jason Reitman)
It’s the way Sony decided to reward and organize the historic generosity of the Ghostbusters community, which has been visiting hospitals and doing charity work in uniform for decades. A beautiful example of how an entertainment franchise can have a real positive impact.
Our association, Gens Florentiae, is happy and proud to announce that it has received Ghost Corps’ patronage to use and promote the new “Ghostbusters Give Back” brand for the “Assault on Florence” project. We want to thank the entire Ghost Corps team for their kind words about our solidarity project, which has been running for four years now (through which we helped purchase equipment for the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence) and is nearing its conclusion with the production of “Assault On Florence 2 – The Final Ghostbusters Story,” featuring a new fundraiser to support the children’s hospital initiatives.
From Tuscany to New York
Presented in June 2023 during “Ghostbusters week” in New York, at the Ladder 8 Firehouse (the GB firehouse in the films), receiving full support from the community present.
Tour 2024/2025 & awards
- October 31, 2023 – Premiere Florence, The Space Cinema
- January 26, 2024 – Florence, The Space Cinema
- March 16, 2024 – Florence, The Space Cinema
- May 30, 2024 – Milan, Anteo CityLife Cinema
- July 19, 2024 – Grassina (FI), La Tana dei Supereroi (with Milano25 ONLUS)
- August 29, 2024 – Carmignano (PO), Quinto Martini Museum Park
- October 31, 2024 – Anghiari (AR), Sorci Castle
- December 5, 2024 – Rimini, Amarcort Film Festival
- March 8, 2025 – Ferrara, Sala Estense (with ACAREF)
- September 15, 2025 – Florence, Chiardiluna Cinema
International awards, selections and recognitions 2024 – 2026
- Official Selection – Villammare Film Festival ’24, Villammare (SA)
- Best Screenplay Nomination – Villammare Film Festival ’24, Villammare (SA)
- Official Selection – Lift-Off Filmmaker Session ’24, London UK
- CNA Rimini Cinema Award – Amarcort Film Festival ’24, Rimini
- Honorable Mention – Films That Move ’25, Kingston, Jamaica
- Official Selection – Films of the Year – Heroes International Film Festival ’25, Rome
- Best Visual Effects Award – Caorle Film Festival ’25, Caorle (VE)
- Best Genre Feature Film Award – Golden FEMI Film Festival in Sofia (Bulgaria)
Assault on Florence received patronage from the Municipality of Florence and the Metropolitan City of Florence, as well as being supported by the GB Italia association and GB Buffalo (USA).