The INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL URTIcanti is a festival and a competition dedicated to short films, docufilms and works of video art to promote contemporary author music as a written or electroacoustic work. This specification excludes works of a specifically commercial nature.

The mission of the project is to popularise contemporary art music through images. It often happens that the non-expert listener perceives contemporary art music as an abstract, even too intellectual form of expression, and ends up distancing himself or herself from it. In today's scenario in which the image is an almost indispensable element of every communication process, resorting to visual support - short films, short docufilms and works of video art - can serve to break down certain prejudices. This Festival intends to make use of the concrete elements that images reveal so that contemporary music is closer and more easily accessible to an audience, even of non-experts. As a mirror of the performance, the image on the screen has the power to illuminate the resonant body (the actual musical instrument) but also the body of the performer, increasing the communicative charge of contemporary music pieces. In the cinema, it is no coincidence that, in addition to the music, the protagonist is the performer: making the performer's effort visible, highlighting the gestures, timbre, and corporeity of both sound and instrument, illuminating the sound sources, making visible details that remain in the shadows during the concert, are the objectives that the INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL URTIcanti sets itself to encourage an empathetic encounter with contemporary music.

For each of the Sections, the following prizes will be awarded for both Categories (Senior and Student):
• best short film
• best short docufilm
• best video art work

For each of the three Sections, the following prizes will be awarded out for both Categories (Senior and Student):
• best director
• best soundtrack
• best sound
• best photography
• best musical interpretation (for live performances)

In addition, the following special prizes will be awarded
• best work made under 30 (Senior Category)
• best work made by the youngest student (Student Category)
• best Italian film
• best film made in the Region of Apulia

The Commission reserves the right to award or not to award all prizes, to make changes to the special prizes or to award honorable mentions.

A personalized certficate will be issued for each of the 12 prizes.

The Festival will be divided into the following sections
• International Short Film Competition (maximum length 10 minutes)
• International Short Docufilms Competition (maximum length 20 minutes)
• International Video Art Competition (maximum length 5 minutes)
The duration indications are general, non-objectionable. All exceptions may be considered, according to the sole and unquestionable judgement of the Festival Management.

Each section is divided into two Categories:
• Student
• Senior
To enter the Student Category, a proof of enrollment in an Academy, University or High School must be presented.

The INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL URTIcanti is open to short films, short docufilms and video art works from all countries made after 1 January 2022.

Applications for the festival must be submitted via the Filmfreeway.com platform at https://filmfreeway.com/INTERNATIONALMUSICFILMVIDEOFESTIVALURTIcanti

Screening copies of films & videos must be uploaded on the Filmfreeway.com platform by September 22, 2025
After this date, films & videos will be excluded from the Festival.
All films & videos must be available for download online by communicating link and password, under penalty of exclusion.
For each film & video, an approximately 90-second trailer must also be available and downloadable, under penalty of exclusion.

For info urticanti@gmail.com

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Marc Bourdeau

    Very good festival, excellent communication, very good organisation. Warmly recommended!!

    December 2024
  • Very happy my poetry short film has been included in the URTIcanti festival. A great experience overall, thanks!!

    November 2024
  • The quick response, lively advertising on social media, and issuance of the award certificate - everything was perfect.

    November 2024
  • FilmFreeway notified me that my submitted film was selected, but the follow-up message from the festival said otherwise. The festival didn't clarify what the actual scenario was when I tried to contact them, so the only thing I can say about the experience is that it left me a little bit confused.

    October 2024
  • A very unusual and thoughtful event. It was a pleasure and honor to be included in the festival.

    October 2024