At his Thirteenth edition, the Castiglioni Film Festival It continues to celebrate cinema in the heart of the Valdichiana, transforming Castiglion Fiorentino into a place of encounter between stories, visions and cultures.
The International short film competition It brings works and new talents to the screen from all over the world, While the evening screenings under the stars of the Arena del Cassero offer the opportunity to meet actors and directors. Talk, meetings e masterclass They complete a program dedicated to the discovery, comparison and deepening of the cinematic language.
The 13th edition will be held in Castiglion Fiorentino in good July 2027. We accept short films maximum of 25 minutes, including titles, produced after January 1st, 2026, In the National, International and Documentary sections.
Registration deadline: April 26, 2027, 23:59
The competition awards three main prizes, the Best National Short Film, the Best International Short Film and the Best Documentary Short Film, With a Total prize money of 1,500 euros. The jury may also award a Special Mention in each category.
In addition to the main prizes there are Award for Best Direction, the Special Jury Prize, the Young Jury Prize, chosen by students from secondary schools and universities, and the Public Prize, Decided by the festival's audience. Awards offered by sponsors and partners can be added.
The organization of the Castiglioni Film Festival, chaired by the Farrago collective, brings evening screenings under the stars to the village of Castiglion Fiorentino, featuring distinguished national guests, talks with outstanding speakers, and a selection of film works from around the world.
The Castiglioni Film Festival takes place every year in the picturesque setting of the village of Castiglion Fiorentino, in the heart of the Valdichiana region, with screenings at the Mario Spina Cinema Theatre and on the panoramic arena of the Cassero.
In past editions, the Castiglioni Film Festival has hosted national figures such as Francesco Costabile, Maura Delpero, Edoardo Pesce, Paolo Calabresi, Andrea Segre, Jacopo Quadri, Massimo Cantini Parrini, Tommaso Renzoni, Alessandro Gori, Valentina Bertani, Maria Sole Limodio, Sergio Romano, Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Mario Martone, Olivier Assayas, Carlo Cresto-Dina, Andrea Gatopoulos and many others.
Organized by Farrago APS in collaboration with the Municipality of Castiglion Fiorentino.
Experience real cinema in Castiglion Fiorentino! Don’t miss the screenings under the stars, masterclasses with the most important professionals in the industry, and an international selection of short films. And to conclude the evenings, come and have a drink with us at the festival’s official bar right at the Arena del Cassero. Cinema is all about encounters.
National Short Films - Tuscan - Documentaries
International Short Films - Tuscan - Documentaries
National Short Films - Tuscan - International
Award ceremony
14:30
Opening of the 12th edition of the CFF
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
15:00 - 16:30
Short Film Competition
National Competition
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
17:00 - 18:30
Short Film Competition
Short film screening: Documentary Competition (SUB ITA)
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
18:45 - 19:45
Talks and Masterclasses
“Anatomy of a chain: from the idea to distribution, copyright” with Valerio Antonini
Where
Logge Piazza del Municipio
21:15
Cinema under the stars
“Le bambine” with director Valentina Bertani
followed by an open Q&A with the audience moderated and presented by Giulia Calvani
Where
Arena del Cassero
23:00
Events and parties
Chill, beer and drinks
Where
Bar del Cassero
15:00 - 16:30
Short Film Competition
International Competition (SUB ITA)
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
17:00 - 18:30
Short Film Competition
Documentary Competition (SUB ITA)
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
18:45 - 19:45
Talks and Masterclasses
Presentation of the book “It’s an enterprise to make a film” with the author and film producer Carlo Cresto-Dina. The meeting is moderated by Davide Mogna.
Where
Logge Piazza del Municipio
19:45 - 20:30
Events and parties
Networking aperitif
Where
Logge Piazza del Municipio
21:15
Cinema under the stars
“The Plain Cities” with producers Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa
followed by an open Q&A with the audience moderated and presented by Giulia Calvani
Where
Arena del Cassero
23:00
Events and parties
Chill, beer and drinks
Where
Bar del Cassero
15:00 - 16:30
Short Film Competition
National Competition
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
17:00 - 18:30
Short Film Competition
International Competition (SUB ITA)
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
18:45 - 19:45
Talks and Masterclasses
“ULTRAFAKE: Why AI cannot create art with Andrea Gatopoulos
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
21:15
Cinema under the stars
“Out” with director Mario Martone, who receives the lifetime achievement award presented by the City of Castiglion Fiorentino
followed by an open Q&A with the audience moderated and presented by Giulia Calvani
Where
Arena del Cassero
23:00
Events and parties
KARAOKE
Where
Bar del Cassero
16:30
Events and parties
Exhibition of sketches of the CFF trophies created by the students of the Liceo Artistico Piero della Francesca
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
17:00 - 18:30
Short film competition
Award ceremony of the international short film competition and screening of the winning short films
Where
Teatro Mario Spina
18:45 - 20:30
Events and parties
CNA Giovani networking aperitif
Where
Logge Piazza del Municipio
21:15
Cinema under the stars
“The Wizard of the Kremlin” with director Olivier Assayas
followed by an open Q&A with the audience moderated and presented by Giulia Calvani
Where
Arena del Cassero
23:00
Events and parties
CLOSING PARTY until late
Where
Bar del Cassero
The CFF hosts a selection of 28 Italian and international short films. The jury of excellence, composed of leading figures from the Italian cultural scene, will award the prizes for Best National Short Film, Best International Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film: President of the jury Gregorio Paonessa, Giulia Grandinetti, Raffaele Perillo, Vittoria Spaccapietra, Alessandro Gori and Fabrizio Ciavoni.
An elderly Malay-Tamil couple discovers that their goat, destined for ceremonial sacrifice, is pregnant. Divided between their faith and the expectations of the community, they must decide whether to perform the sacrifice or face the wrath of the gods.
Planet Earth, year 2960 AD. A group of uranium miners returns to the blue planet in search of the precious metal. The crackling of the Geiger counter leads one member of the team into the depths of a cave. There, the explorer comes across an ancient relic from the world of old, awakening it from a sleep that lasted centuries, perhaps millennia.
How does a machine learn to read the world? Testimonies and screen recordings introduce the experience of the micro-workers online in the Global South: their task is to teach the autonomous driving artificial intelligence of cars to navigate the streets of the Global North. While examining images from the United States, they devise micro-strategies to organize themselves and subvert the system that exploits their hands and eyes.
For his XII Edition, The Castiglioni Film Festival confirms the International short film competition, By opening the doors to over 480 works from 56 countries. Castiglion Fiorentino thus confirms itself as a reference point for cinema in Tuscany, becoming a meeting place for directors, enthusiasts and professionals in the sector. The best national and international short films will be judged by a panel of experts. jury Composed of leading figures from the Italian cultural scene: experts and critics who interpret the present and perceive its transformations, bringing an innovative perspective on auteur cinema.
Film producer, in 2004 together with Marta Donzelli he founded Vivo Film, an independent production company that has produced documentaries and fiction films selected and awarded by the most prestigious international festivals. Among the main accolades are the David di Donatello for Best Producer Miss Marx (2021) and the eight David conquered by The cities of the plain in 2026, including those for Best Film and Best Producer.
Screenwriter, she graduated from the University of Pisa and completed a Master’s degree in International Screenwriting & Production in Milan. She worked as an editor at DO Cinema and in the field of serials and independent productions. She is the author of the documentary The 400 days (2023, Turin Film Festival) and since 2023 she is the author and screenwriter for the collective The Jackal.
Producer, he studied Economics and Management in Milan at Università Bocconi. After gaining experience at Lux Vide (Fremantle) in international distribution, business development and marketing, since 2024 he has been the appointed producer of Numero 10, a production company founded by Paolo Sorrentino.
Director, makes his debut in 2020 with Alice and the Land that Wonders (2020) and creates a trilogy of short films: Guinea Pig (2020), Tria – of the feeling of betraying (2022), in competition at Venice 79 (Orizzonti Cortometraggi), and Mayonnaise (2024), nominated for the 2025 David di Donatello Awards and qualified for the 2026 Oscar race (narrowly missing the shortlist). He is developing the feature film Yellow and Blue.
A writer and satirical author, a graduate in Psychology, creator of “Lo Sgargabonzi!”. He publishes with Rizzoli, minimum fax, Nottetempo, UTET and Einaudi and since 2013 has been staging shows all over Italy. He has worked on A Piece of Lundini (2020-2022), he is a recurring guest on Battute and writes for Linus, Internazionale, Domani and Rolling Stone. Among his books: Group of leprechauns in an interior (2024) and Selling Thyroid Causes Double Gift (2026). Prize of Satire (2022).
Actor and content creator active in independent cinema, he has acted in Giulia (2021), Roma Blues (2023), When (2025) and Another Ferragosto (2023). He is the co-founder and host of Nostalghia Podcast, dedicated to telling the story of contemporary cinema through meetings with professionals in the sector.
If you want to ask us something about the short film competition
If you would like to get in touch with our press office
If you want to ask us anything else about the Castiglioni Film Festival