Holding Thumbs Productions, a female-run production company, proudly announces the release of their debut feature film (100 minutes), Trifole. The film will be showing at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town, the Franschhoek Theatre in the Cape Winelands, and the Bioscope in Johannesburg.
In this bittersweet portrait of a vanishing rural way of life, Dalia travels to Piedmont to care for her aging grandfather Igor, an expert truffle forager. Armed with his loyal dog Birba, she hunts for a prizewinning truffle to save his home. Trifole is “A poetic and colourful fable that enchants and surprises.” – MyMovies.it
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Langhe region of Piedmont, Trifole was staff-picked by Vogue Italy as one of the 40 best films of 2024 and featured in Rolling Stone Italia, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline. The film opened across 40 cinemas in Rome, Milan, and Turin on 17 October 2024 and came in 14th at the box office out of 40 films that opened the same weekend. Thereafter, the film premiered in the US at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2025 and is set to release in America in October 2025.
An International Collaboration Holding Thumbs Productions, co-founded by Ydalie Turk and Casey
Diepeveen, collaborated closely with G&F Pictures’ director, Gabriele Fabbro, as Turk co-wrote and starred in the lead role of the film, and Diepeveen produced the film. The production of Trifole was led by an international team, including Italian Executive Producer, Massimo Fabbro, Italian producer, Mattia Puleo, American cinematographer, Brandon Lattman, and Italian production designer, Serena Viganò. The cast boasts legendary 90-year old Italian actor, Umberto Orsini as Igor, Italy’s most beloved actress Margherita Buy as Marta, as well as Francesco Zecca (White Lotus) and South African actress, Frances Sholto-Douglas (The Kissing Booth, Fatal Seduction, Black Mirror) in supporting roles. The film was made possible by the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte.
In Rolling Stone Italia, regarding the writing process, Turk said, “I was interested in exploring the monetary and emotional value of the legacy and identity of truf le-hunting as a profession, but also of an entire territory that is very often associated with the white truf le. When I discovered the intensity and passion of these trufle-hunters, I was enchanted.” Further, in relation to her character, Dalia; “I hope the movie resonates with young people,” explains Turk. “We’re facing a lot of existential uncertainty, and it results in disillusionment. I hope that the film serves as an antidote to these feelings.”
Producer, Casey Diepeveen says, “It’s incredible to think that just two years ago, Gabriele, Ydalie, and I connected over a Zoom call to embark on this magical story. I was excited to work with such a hungry, grounded creative team and to immerse myself in the culture of rural Northern Italy, particularly the outskirts of small towns and the secretive woods. More than that, the story about a granddaughter and grandfather building a relationship across dif erent languages and experiences was intriguing, and exploring how Dalia learns how to ‘be’ in the silence, in nature, and in the world, deeply resonated with me”.