Matera Film Festival 2026, Italy

• November 7, 2026
  Event date:
• November 15, 2026
  Event end:

What to expect in 2026

The Matera Film Festival returns for its seventh edition in 2026, bringing international cinema, documentaries, short films, new audiovisual languages, television, animation, comics, gaming and cultural events to Matera. The festival was founded in 2019 and has presented around 400 works from Italy and abroad, alongside retrospectives, premieres, exhibitions, installations, concerts, workshops, masterclasses and meetings with filmmakers.

The 2026 edition will place particular emphasis on the Mediterranean as a space where cultures, stories and cinematic languages meet. The festival’s Focus Med collaboration with the Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Tétouan will bring Moroccan cinema to Matera, with three to four Moroccan films selected by the Tétouan festival and presented as part of the Focus Mediterraneo programme.

The festival will also continue its combination of competitive screenings and non-competitive programming, making Matera’s historic centre a setting for cinema, professional meetings, educational activities and cultural events.

Festival dates

Matera Film Festival 2026 will take place from November 7–15, 2026, in Matera, Basilicata, Italy. The official festival announcement confirms the seventh edition and describes the event as a meeting point for international cinema professionals, filmmakers, audiences and cultural organisations.

The festival will occupy several central venues around Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the historic centre, allowing visitors to move between screenings, talks and other activities largely on foot.

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

Venues & festival locations

The Matera Film Festival is designed as a pedestrian and sustainable festival, with its principal locations concentrated in the historic centre. The official festival information lists the following venues:

• CineTeatro Comunale Gerardo Guerrieri — Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 23
• OpenSpace Basilicata APT — Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 1
• Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti CTE — Via San Rocco, 1
• Green Garden — portico of the Provincial Library, Piazza Vittorio Veneto
• Casa Cava — Via San Pietro Barisano, 47
• Biblioteca Tommaso Stigliani — Piazza Vittorio Veneto
• Festival Info Point — Via Lucana, 97

The venues are located close to one another in central Matera, with many festival locations accessible through pedestrian streets and Piazza Vittorio Veneto.

Full programme

The 2026 programme will combine competitive cinema with cultural, educational and professional activities. The main international competition is open to feature films, documentaries and short films, with selected works presented to audiences and juries during the festival.

The wider programme is expected to include:

• International Competition for feature films, documentaries and short films
• Focus Mediterraneo dedicated to Mediterranean cinema
• Focus Med presenting selected Moroccan cinema through the Matera–Tétouan collaboration
• Out-of-competition screenings
• Retrospectives and tributes
• Focus Italia
• Matera for the World
• Matera Film Edu activities for schools
• Fuori Serie programming focused on television and series
• Qui e Ora cultural and cinematic explorations
• Città visibili o condivisibili
• Author meetings and Q&A sessions
• Masterclasses, seminars and conferences
• Exhibitions, installations and other audiovisual activities

The festival’s transmedia approach also connects cinema with music, comics, literature, gaming, animation, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.

The complete 2026 programme and final film selection are still being announced, so individual titles and session times should be checked against the official programme.

Featured films & premieres

The international competition will present selected feature films, documentaries and short films from filmmakers working in Italy and internationally. The 2026 competition regulations establish three principal competitive categories covering these forms.

The Focus Mediterraneo strand will be particularly significant in 2026. Through the partnership with the Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Tétouan, three to four Moroccan films will be selected and presented in Matera, accompanied by Moroccan filmmakers and producers and a visiting delegation.

The festival also maintains space for premieres, out-of-competition films, retrospectives and special presentations. Final 2026 titles and premiere designations will be announced by the organisers as the programme develops.

Directors, actors & guests

The 2026 guest list has not yet been completely announced. The Focus Med collaboration confirms that Moroccan filmmakers and producers will accompany the selected films presented in Matera, while Abdelatif El Bazi, Secretary General of the Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Tétouan, will participate on the International Jury.

The festival has historically hosted major international and Italian cinema figures. Its previous guests and award recipients have included David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam, Atom Egoyan, Peter Greenaway, Patty Jenkins, Robin Wright, Barbara Bouchet, Nicola Piovani, Francesco Costabile, Barbara Ronchi, Claudio Santamaria, Giovanna Ralli and many others.

Additional directors, actors, producers, writers and cultural figures for the 2026 edition will be announced as the festival programme is finalised.

Screening schedule

The screening schedule will be organised around the international competitions, Mediterranean cinema, special screenings, retrospectives and out-of-competition sections.

Selected films will be shown according to a timetable established by the festival organisers, with screening information communicated to participating filmmakers in advance.

Previous editions have combined daytime screenings with afternoon and evening sessions, author introductions, Q&A meetings, masterclasses and special events. Visitors should use the official daily programme to confirm individual film times and venues.

Ticket types & accreditation

The 2026 public ticket structure has not yet been fully published. Previous festival programming has included many events with free admission until capacity is reached, while selected activities have required advance reservation. In the previous edition, reserved events at the CineTeatro Comunale Gerardo Guerrieri could also be accessed through a waiting list when places remained available.

For 2026, visitors should expect a combination of:

• Free public screenings and cultural activities
• Events requiring advance reservation
• Reserved sessions with limited capacity
• Professional and press accreditation
• Special access for participating filmmakers and industry guests

Because the 2026 ticketing system is still being developed, visitors should check the official programme before assuming that a particular screening requires a ticket or reservation.

Industry & professional access

The Matera Film Festival has a strong professional dimension, welcoming filmmakers, producers, distributors, cultural organisations and other audiovisual professionals.

The 2026 international competition is explicitly open to directors, authors, producers and distributors submitting feature films, documentaries and short films. Selected works will compete for official festival awards and be presented to the public and juries.

The festival also provides opportunities for professional networking through author meetings, conferences, masterclasses, industry discussions and its international Mediterranean collaborations.

Companies and organisations can also participate as festival partners, with opportunities for branding, visibility and participation in institutional events, screenings and cultural activities.

Red carpet & special events

Matera Film Festival combines cinema screenings with opening and closing ceremonies, awards, guest appearances, retrospectives, cultural meetings and special presentations.

The festival has previously welcomed major international guests and used special events to connect cinema with literature, comics, animation, television and other creative fields. Previous programmes have included masterclasses, author meetings, book presentations, Rai Fiction events and special cinema celebrations.

The 2026 Focus Med programme will add an international Mediterranean dimension, with Moroccan filmmakers and producers accompanying the selected films and participating in the festival’s activities.

Festival rules

The 2026 International Competition is divided into three categories covering feature films, documentaries and short films. The selected works will be presented to the public and evaluated by a professional jury during the festival.

Important technical and participation requirements include:

• Selected films must comply with the official eligibility conditions.
• DCP is the preferred screening format, although alternative formats can be agreed with the organisers.
• Digital screening files must meet the minimum technical resolution specified in the regulations.
• Selected filmmakers must provide film information, author details, production information, synopsis and photographs for the festival catalogue.
• Shipping and customs costs for materials sent to the festival are the responsibility of participants.
• The festival covers return transport and customs costs for the screening copy under the conditions established in the regulations.

The 2026 competition awards include Best Film, Best Documentary and Best Short Film. The published award values are approximately $5,850 for Best Film, $3,510 for Best Documentary and $2,340 for Best Short Film, based on the official competition amounts converted to USD.

How to get there

Matera is located in Basilicata in southern Italy and can be reached by road and public transport from several major cities in southern Italy.

Visitors travelling from Bari can use road and bus connections to Matera, while visitors arriving from other parts of Italy can connect through Bari and continue by regional bus services.

The festival’s central locations are concentrated around Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the historic Sassi area, making the final part of the journey particularly convenient on foot.

Public transport & parking

The festival describes itself as a pedestrian, green and sustainable event, with the principal locations concentrated in the historic centre and within walking distance of one another.

Visitors arriving at Matera’s central railway and bus connections can reach the festival area on foot. The festival also identifies urban bus connections serving the station and other parts of the city, including routes connecting the Villalongo station area and bus terminals around Via Don Luigi Sturzo.

Parking is more practical outside the historic pedestrian areas. Visitors travelling by car should use permitted parking areas and then continue toward the festival centre on foot or by local transport, while observing local traffic restrictions.

Accommodation areas

The historic centre and Sassi districts are convenient for visitors who want to stay close to the festival venues. Staying centrally allows easy access to the CineTeatro Guerrieri, Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Casa Cava and the other principal locations.

The area around Matera’s central railway and bus connections can also be practical for visitors using public transport.

Matera has a wide range of hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and cave-style accommodation. Previous festival programmes have worked with local hospitality partners, including hotels and guest accommodation in the city.

Food & dining

Matera provides a broad selection of restaurants, trattorias, cafés, bakeries and bars, particularly around the historic centre and Sassi districts.

Visitors can experience traditional Lucanian cuisine alongside modern restaurants and casual dining. Local specialities and regional ingredients are an important part of the city’s food culture.

The festival has previously collaborated with restaurants and food partners in Matera, with participating venues including restaurants, pizzerias, wine establishments and local food businesses.

For visitors attending several screenings in one day, staying around Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the historic centre provides convenient access to dining options between festival sessions.

Accessibility

The festival’s main venues are concentrated within the historic centre, and the organisers describe the event as a pedestrian festival with locations situated only a short distance from one another.

Because Matera’s historic districts include steep streets, steps and uneven surfaces, accessibility can vary considerably between individual locations.

Visitors requiring step-free access, accessible seating or other assistance should contact the festival before attending so that suitable arrangements can be confirmed for individual screenings and events.

Best screenings to attend

The international competition is central to the festival and is the main choice for visitors who want to discover new feature films, documentaries and short films from Italy and abroad.

The Focus Mediterraneo programme is particularly relevant in 2026 because it will present Moroccan cinema through the Matera–Tétouan collaboration, with filmmakers and producers accompanying the screenings.

Retrospectives, special screenings and author meetings are also worth including in a festival itinerary. The festival has traditionally used these programmes to connect individual films with wider discussions about cinema, culture, literature, animation and contemporary society.

Previous year’s highlights

The 2025 edition was the sixth edition of the Matera Film Festival and featured an international competition alongside numerous special programmes. The competition included feature films, documentaries and short films, while the wider programme included Focus Italia, Matera Film Edu, Fuori Serie, Matera for the World, retrospectives and other cultural sections.

Gabriele Mainetti was one of the principal guests of honour, with a retrospective covering Basette, Tiger Boy, Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot, Freaks Out and La città proibita. The director also met the audience for a masterclass.

Other 2025 highlights included special guest Yoshitaka Amano, a tribute to Japanese animation and a presentation connected with Angel’s Egg. Terry Gilliam also returned to Matera for a masterclass and a celebration connected with Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The 2025 competition winners included Fratelli di Culla for Best Documentary, Le città di pianura for Best Feature Film and The Surrogate Girl for Best Short Film.

Official tickets & accreditation

The official Matera Film Festival website is the primary source for 2026 programme announcements, competition information, tickets, reservations, accreditation and venue updates.

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For general festival information and enquiries, the official contact email is info.materafilmfest@gmail.com.

The festival’s listed organisational address is Associazione Making-Of / Associazione Culturale Plongée, Via Ascanio Persio 31, 75100 Matera, Italy.

Visitors should check the official website for the final 2026 ticketing and accreditation arrangements before attending, particularly for events with limited capacity.

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