Can I choose my seat?
SCEL-go — the 'sc' before 'e' sounds like 'sh'. So it's 'SHEL-ye-re'.
Ask at the ticket counter or on the booking screen. Italian multiplex cinemas nearly always have assigned seating. Arthouse cinemas may have free seating — this phrase clarifies the policy.
Most Italian cinemas (multisale) assign seats at the time of purchase. You will be shown a seating map and asked to pick. If you forget your seat number, check the ticket — it will say 'Fila' (row) and 'Posto' (seat). Free seating is noted as 'posti liberi' on listings.
Quali posti sono ancora disponibili?
Which seats are still available?
Ask when the hall is filling up.
Vorrei un posto centrale, se possibile.
I'd like a central seat, if possible.
Good for asking staff to help you choose well.
Possiamo stare vicini?
Can we sit together?
Useful when buying multiple tickets and wanting adjacent seats.
Italians tend to prefer seats in the middle rows — neither too close nor too far. The back rows are sometimes associated with teenagers, while older audiences gravitate toward the centre.