The Saturnia Film Festival aims to be a benchmark for emerging international filmmakers and for the public, which includes both professionals and cinema enthusiasts. The festival’s Artistic Commission will focus on selecting works that explore universal themes in a personal and authentic way. The Saturnia Film Festival will be held from July 30 to August 2, 2026, lasting four days, in the piazzas of Manciano, Saturnia, Montemerano, and Terme di Saturnia (Grosseto, ITALY).

Please note: The dates are subject to change, and any updates will be promptly communicated to all participants who have submitted their work to the festival.

The Saturnia Film Festival recognizes the importance of the director’s role. For this reason, the authors of the short films and features selected for the competition will be hosted in a 4-star hotel. This is done to honor their artistic dedication, allow for the exchange of experiences with other creators, and make them an integral part of the Saturnia Film Festival team!

AWARDS (long and short films)
The most important awards at the Saturnia Film Festival that receive the bronze sculpture, created by the artist Arnaldo Mazzanti, which represents a Nymph, the symbol of the birth of the waters, are:

AUDIENCE AWARD (for feature films)

ENEL ANDREA CAMILLERI AWARD for Best Screenplay (for short films)

OTHER AWARDS
1. The Saturnia Film Festival’s Artistic Committee reserves the sole and exclusive right to determine the eligibility of any film.
2. Short films submitted to the festival in the Animation, Italian, and International categories (including both documentaries and fiction) must have been completed after January 1, 2025
3. The management of the Saturnia Film Festival will select a jury of industry members (including film producers) to award the following prizes:
– Best Direction Award
– Best Italian Short Film Award
– Best International Short Film Award
– Best Animation Short Film Award
– “Female Perspectives” Award (in collaboration with Mujeres nel Cinema)
– Best Art Short School Film Award
– Best Actor Award
– Best Actress Award
The Cultural Association Aradia Productions organizes the NINTH EDITION OF THE SATURNIA FILM FESTIVAL, dedicated to a selection of the best short films from all over the world. The event consists of three competitive sections: fiction, animation, and documentary, and the main recognition is the Award for Best Director. The works must be short films, with a duration not exceeding 15 minutes, including titles.

*The Artistic Commission reserves the right to evaluate and admit works of a longer duration than that allowed by the regulations.

The competition is open to ITALIAN DEBUT AND SECOND FEATURE FILMS, which includes the selection of three films of both FICTION and DOCUMENTARY genres on any theme and that have distinguished themselves during the cinematographic year.

ART. 1 MISSION
The Saturnia Film Festival aims to be a benchmark for emerging international filmmakers and the public (composed of professionals and cinema enthusiasts). The focus of the festival’s Artistic Commission will be on selecting works that address universal themes in a personal and authentic way.

ART. 2 DATE AND DURATION OF THE EVENT
The Saturnia Film Festival will take place from July 30 to August 2, 2026, lasting four days, in the squares of Manciano, Saturnia, Montemerano, and Terme di Saturnia (Grosseto, ITALY).

ART. 3 INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
The Festival presents the best works selected by the Artistic Commission in the three sections:
1. Fiction
2. Animation
3. Documentary
All finalist directors will compete for the festival’s main recognition: the Award for Best Director.

*The competition is open to ITALIAN DEBUT AND SECOND FEATURE FILMS, which includes the selection of three films of both FICTION and DOCUMENTARY genres on any theme and that have distinguished themselves during the cinematographic year.

*The competition is also open for the Art Short School Film sections

ART. 4 AWARDS
1. The selection of films is at the sole and unquestionable discretion of the festival’s Artistic Commission.
2. Fiction, animation, and documentary short films completed after January 1, 2025, are eligible to participate in the competition.
3. The festival’s management will appoint a Jury composed of industry professionals (including film producers) who will award the following prizes:
– Best Direction Award
– Best Italian Short Film Award
– Best International Short Film Award
– Best Animation Short Film Award
– “Female Perspectives” Award (in collaboration with Mujeres nel Cinema)
– Best Art Short School Film Award
– Best Actor Award
– Best Actress Award

ART. 5 SUBMISSIONS
Submissionsforthe Saturnia Film Festival must be made electronically via the Film Freeway platform from October 1, 2025, no later than May 15, 2026.

Films on any theme and in the genres specified in the regulations are eligible to participate. No premiere status is required for the films.

For selection purposes, films in languages other than Italian must have English or Italian subtitles for viewing by the Artistic Commission.

The festivalsubmission fee startsfrom 15.00 Euro,which covers administration costs.

ART. 6 SELECTED FILMS
1. Selected directors will be notified by June 10, 2026.
2. For the works considered finalists, the festival secretariat will be responsible for collecting promotional materials for the films (production stills, director’s biography, credits, trailer, technical info, etc.). The film representatives commit to providing all the materials requested by the festival organization.
3. The copy of the selected films for screening and the requested materials must be sent via WeTransfer file no later than June 15, 2026. Subtitle files must be submitted no later than June 30, 2026. 4. The video and promotional material sent to the festival organization will not be returned.

ART. 7 SCREENINGS
1. The program of the Saturnia Film Festival and the screening times of the selected films are the responsibility of the festival organization.
2. Films in a language other than Italian will be projected in their original language with Italian subtitles.
3. The Italian subtitles will be handled by the festival organization. The production of the selected films must provide the dialogue list in English by June 15, 2026, at the latest, to allow the organization to work on the translation and insertion of the subtitles into the film.
The festival organization may publish a catalog for promotional purposes of the event, with all the submitted and/or selected works.

ART. 8 ONLINE SCREENINGS
The films may also be streamed only from Italy on the MyMovies platform of Cinema LaCompagnia in Florence, for a single evening yet to be agreed upon.

ART. 9 GENERAL RULES
These regulations are drafted in Italian and English. In case of interpretive problems, the Italian version prevails. The festival management may make decisions on matters not covered by these regulations. The Court of Grosseto has jurisdiction over any dispute.

SATURNIA FILM FESTIVAL
Via Sassi Bianchi snc
Poggio Murella 58014 (GR)
Mail: info@saturniafilmfestival.it WEB: www.saturniafilmfestival.it