Fabriano Film Fest 2026, Italy

• October 29, 2026
  Event date:
• November 1, 2026
  Event end:

What to expect in 2026

Fabriano Film Fest 2026 will return to Fabriano for its 14th edition, bringing international cinema, Italian productions, short films, feature films, animation, special screenings, workshops and meetings with filmmakers and actors to the historic city in the Marche region. The festival has a strong social and cultural focus and since 2023 has supported the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through cultural activities.

The 2026 programme will combine competitive cinema with public events, special screenings, children’s and teenagers’ matinées, meetings with cinema professionals, workshops, concerts and book presentations. The festival also continues its Women Empowerment award, dedicated to stories concerning strength, self-esteem and awareness.

Festival dates

Fabriano Film Fest 2026 will take place from October 29 to November 1, 2026.

The four-day programme is expected to combine competition screenings with guest meetings, special events, educational activities and award presentations.

The official programme should be consulted for the exact screening times and venue allocation.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venues & festival locations

Cinema Montini

Cinema Montini is the principal festival cinema and has hosted the majority of the Fabriano Film Fest programme in recent editions. The venue is located in the historic centre of Fabriano and has been used for competition screenings, guest meetings and special presentations.

Fabriano historic centre

The festival’s central location allows visitors to combine screenings with walks through Fabriano’s historic streets, restaurants, cafés and cultural attractions.

Museo della Carta e della Filigrana

The Paper and Watermark Museum has previously hosted exhibitions and cultural projects connected with the festival, including the Cinema di Carta exhibition.

Teatro Gentile

Teatro Gentile has also been used for special cultural and musical events connected with the festival’s wider programme.

The exact 2026 venue allocation should be checked against the final programme.

Full programme

The 2026 edition is expected to include a broad combination of cinema competitions, special screenings and cultural activities.

• International short-film competition
• Fiction short films
• Animated films
• Feature films
• Italian productions
• European films
• Marche-region films
• Low-budget productions
• Kids cinema
• Teens competition
• Women Empowerment screenings
• Environmental-themed cinema
• Inclusive cinema projects
• Special out-of-competition screenings
• Meetings with directors and actors
• Film workshops
• School activities
• Concerts
• Book presentations
• Guest events
• Jury sessions
• Awards and closing activities

The current 2026 call accepts fiction and animated short and feature films of any subject, while documentaries, music videos and video art are excluded from the competition.

Featured films & premieres

The complete 2026 film selection has not yet been published.

The latest competition rules allow films of any origin and language, with short films limited to a maximum running time of 20 minutes including credits. Works must have been completed from the specified eligibility period and international films require Italian and/or English subtitles together with a dialogue list.

Previous programmes have featured a mixture of international and Italian films. Recent selections included The Musketeer’s Daughter by Nikita Trantseev, Crac! by Dimitri Martin Genaudeau and 6.21 by Sergei Ramz.

The festival may also present special screenings outside the competition, including films accompanied by members of their cast or creative teams.

Directors, actors & guests

Fabriano Film Fest places considerable emphasis on meetings between audiences and people working in cinema.

Previous editions have welcomed actors, directors, screenwriters and other film professionals for public conversations, awards and special presentations. The 2025 programme included actress Giovanna Sannino and actress Antonia Liskova among its guest events.

The festival’s historical guests and award recipients have included figures such as Milena Vukotic, Enzo D’Alò and Romana Maggiora Vergano.

The confirmed 2026 guest list should be added as the organisers announce individual appearances, jury members and award recipients.

Screening schedule

The detailed 2026 screening timetable is to be confirmed by the organisers.

Recent festival programmes have organised screenings into clearly defined competition rounds, special events and school sessions. A typical programme can include multiple short films grouped into a single competition block followed by guest meetings or special presentations.

The final schedule is expected to identify the film title, director, running time, competition category, venue and screening session.

Visitors attending multiple sessions should allow sufficient time between screenings, particularly when events are held at different locations around Fabriano.

Ticket types & accreditation

The festival’s current public ticket prices for 2026 have not been published in the available official programme information.

Previous editions have included free public workshops and meetings, while the festival’s programme has also used free-access cultural activities as part of its public offering.

Public events

Previous-edition reference: $0 for listed free workshops, meetings and public cultural activities.

Festival screenings

The 2026 screening ticket structure should be confirmed by the organisers when the complete programme is released.

Professional accreditation

Accreditation information for filmmakers, guests and professionals should be published alongside the final festival programme.

Industry & professional access

Fabriano Film Fest provides opportunities for filmmakers and cinema professionals to meet audiences and other members of the film community.

The programme has traditionally included director and actor meetings, workshops, jury activities and presentations connected with selected films.

The festival also provides a range of professional awards, including recognition for direction, screenplay, photography, acting, animation, comedy, European cinema, Italian cinema and films from the Marche region.

Filmmakers can use the festival as an opportunity to present their work directly to audiences and participate in discussions surrounding contemporary short-film production.

Red carpet & special events

Fabriano Film Fest combines cinema screenings with public guest appearances, award presentations and special cultural activities.

Recent programmes have included meetings with well-known actors, presentations involving film casts and special awards for cinema personalities.

The festival also organises activities outside conventional screenings, including workshops, concerts and book presentations. Previous editions have used cultural venues around Fabriano for exhibitions and special events.

The 2026 red-carpet guests and special programme will be confirmed by the organisers.

Festival rules

The 2026 competition regulations accept fiction and animated short and feature films.

Film eligibility

Works must meet the festival’s production-date requirements, while each director can submit a maximum of two works. Short films must not exceed 20 minutes including credits.

Languages and subtitles

Films can originate from any country and use any language. For non-Italian productions, Italian and/or English subtitles are required together with a dialogue list in Italian and/or English.

Competition restrictions

Documentaries, music videos and video art are not accepted within the current competition call. Films already submitted to other festivals may still be eligible.

The organisers reserve the right to admit films in exceptional circumstances and require participants to accept the official regulations when submitting their work.

How to get there

Fabriano is located in the Marche region of central Italy and is connected with larger cities in the region by road and rail.

By car

Fabriano can be reached by road from Ancona, Perugia and other towns across Marche and Umbria. Driving is convenient for visitors planning to explore the surrounding area in addition to attending the festival.

From Ancona

Visitors arriving in Ancona can travel inland toward Fabriano by regional road and rail connections.

From Perugia

Fabriano is also accessible from the Umbria side, making the city a practical destination for visitors combining the festival with travel through central Italy.

The historic centre and Cinema Montini can be reached after arriving in the central Fabriano area.

Public transport & parking

Fabriano is served by regional railway connections, making train travel a practical option for visitors arriving from larger cities in central Italy.

The railway station provides access to the town, after which visitors can continue toward the historic centre using local transport or on foot, depending on their accommodation.

Parking availability varies around the historic centre and individual festival venues. Visitors travelling by car should check local restrictions and designated parking areas before attending evening screenings.

Because Cinema Montini is in the historic centre, visitors should allow additional time if they need to park outside restricted central areas.

Accommodation areas

Fabriano offers hotels, guesthouses, apartments and smaller accommodation properties suitable for festival visitors.

Fabriano historic centre

Staying in the centre provides convenient access to Cinema Montini, restaurants, cafés and many cultural attractions.

Near Fabriano railway station

The area around the station is useful for visitors arriving by train and provides convenient access to the rest of the town.

Fabriano countryside

Visitors with a car can consider rural accommodation around Fabriano, including agriturismi and countryside properties.

Nearby Marche towns

Travellers planning a wider Marche itinerary can also stay in surrounding towns and travel into Fabriano for the festival programme.

Food & dining

Fabriano provides a range of restaurants, cafés, bakeries and traditional food establishments around the historic centre.

Visitors can use the festival period to discover cuisine from the Marche region, including handmade pasta, local cured meats, cheeses, seasonal vegetables and traditional breads.

Previous festival programming has also included dedicated food and social activities. The 2025 programme, for example, included a “Drink & Food” event with tastings at Palazzo Moscatelli.

For visitors attending several screenings in one day, the historic centre is particularly convenient because dining options are located close to the main cultural venues.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an important part of the festival’s social mission.

Previous editions have included dedicated inclusive cinema activities, including collaboration with the Italian Union of Blind and Partially Sighted People and an audio-description project connected with a student production.

The festival has also presented awards and programmes focused on inclusion, including recognition for inclusive short films and activities supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Visitors with specific mobility, hearing or visual-access requirements should contact the organisers before attending to confirm facilities at individual venues.

Best screenings to attend

International competition

The main competition is the core of Fabriano Film Fest and provides an opportunity to discover new fiction and animated productions from Italy and abroad.

Italian films

Italian competition selections provide a view of contemporary domestic short-film production and frequently include emerging directors, actors and creative teams.

Animation

The festival has a dedicated award for animated cinema, making animation an important part of its competitive programme.

Kids and Teens

The Kids and Teens programmes are designed for younger audiences and have previously involved local schools and students in dedicated screening sessions.

Women Empowerment

The Women Empowerment programme focuses on films dealing with women’s experiences, strength, self-esteem and awareness and has become an established part of the festival.

Previous year’s highlights

The 2025 edition included a broad programme of competition screenings, guest meetings, school activities, special films and public events.

The awards included Best Film, Best Short Film Audience Award, Young Jury Award, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Photography, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Comedy and Best Animated Film.

The 2025 Best Film award went to The Musketeer’s Daughter by Nikita Trantseev, while Superbi by Nikola Brunelli received the audience award for Best Short Film. The festival also awarded Best Animation to Crac! by Dimitri Martin Genaudeau.

The guest and cultural programme included meetings with actors, school activities, special screenings, food events and competition sessions. The festival continued its focus on social inclusion, sustainability and opportunities for younger audiences.

Official tickets & accreditation

Official 2026 ticketing and accreditation details should be confirmed through the festival once the complete programme is published.

The festival’s official website identifies Fabriano Film Fest as an international cinema festival with screenings, meetings, awards, children’s and teenagers’ matinées, workshops, concerts and book presentations.

Previous editions have included free workshops and public meetings, so $0 is the previous-edition reference for those specifically free activities. Screening admission and any accreditation requirements should be checked against the final 2026 programme.

Filmmakers submitting works should use the official FilmFreeway registration process specified in the festival’s current regulations.

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