UPDATE: In light of Corona-virus, we want to assure our filmmakers that we are fully committed to run our events and honor all filmmakers who have submitted to us from around the world.

*** We're now accepting submissions for our 2022 edition! ***

Rome Independent Cinema Festival opens its gates to international filmmakers.

Italian cinema has been highly influential in film history, with countless masters of the artform serving as inspiration for independent artists. Rome still remains the heart of Italian film, with a large community of industry people and cultured cinema fans alike, which makes it the perfect setting to celebrate the diversity of independent cinema, at Rome Independent Cinema Festival.

As indie cinema works slightly outside of the mainstream, its position leaves room for both experimentation and artistic growth. On the other hand it needs more help reaching the right audience, therefore it has to be recognized and celebrated for its cultural value.

Our aim is to merge a cultural, inspiring program with an entertaining event, where people can have a unique experience of being artistically stimulated, while having a fun evening, meeting like-minded people in the open-air, Casa del Cinema of Rome. Submit your film and you might be included in our diverse program, and you will also have a chance to win one of our many awards.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners: Devent VFX Studio and Fonderia delle Arti!

Awards & Prizes

Awards (certificates, treats and distribution deals) will be given in the following categories:
* Feature Film
* Feature Documentary
* Short Film
* Short Documentary
* Comedy Short
* Drama Short
* Experimental Short
* Animated Short
* Directing Fiction
* Directing Documentary
* Cinematography
* Editing
* Writing

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The judges of the festival will carefully select the films to be nominated for these awards, and create a selection of nominated films to be screened in front of the live audience at Casa del Cinema, Rome. The winners will be announced at the event, on our website and on social media.

Rules & Terms

✓ All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles (if in a different language).

✓ All films must have been made in or after 2019.

✓ Short films must not exceed 30 minutes.

✓ Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.

✓ By submitting to us, you give us the right to screen your film in front of a live audience at Casa del Cinema, Rome.

✓ Nominations: These are all the films that have been nominated for an award in a category. Not all nominated films will be screened.

Official Selection: These are all the nominated films selected for screening, which will be notified via email. If you received a Nomination email, but no Official Selection email, it means your film will not be screened, but is still a contender for an award in its category.

Award Winners: Chosen from the Nominations (which includes the Official Selection).

✓ We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with.

✓ We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through email and our online platforms.

✓ We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status or whether your work has been made available online.

✓ We do not accept partial screeners, trailers, or screener links that require access other than password protected links.

✓ Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file doesn’t work or doesn’t have English subtitles (if in a language other than English), it will be automatically rejected, without a refund. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.

✓ We cannot provide refunds.

✓ If you have submitted your project in the previous year, please do not resubmit the same project to the current edition.

✓ By submitting to us you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.

✓ We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.
16 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Diego Robaldo

    Very Happy for "Canelones" been selected as Finalist for the international competition, sadly due the pandemic we couldt assist to the event. but we wiil in the future! THANKS !

    December 2020
    Helpful
  • Mehmet Tığlı

    It’s a great honor to be an award winner at this amazing festival. Sycamore won best foreign film award. Thanx a lot!

    October 2020
    Helpful
  • Dov Abramson

    We were very excited that our film "Lost and Found" was nominated for the animated film award.
    It was a bit unsual that a nominated film was not screened at the event - but the issue was communicated very clearly from the onset, and we respect and appreciate that it was a one-evening event and time was short.
    Thanks!

    September 2019
    Helpful
  • Victoria Yakubov Schneid

    Dear Festival! Thank you so much for the Award, but not only! We are very thankful about the way you Preserve Cinema our days it is so not easy, and the Humanity and Kindness in which you were in contact the all way with us. Very professional, humble, amazing people! We love you! Olma Djon Team!

    September 2019
    Helpful
  • Arianna Lodeserto

    Thank you for the Best Editing Award! So sorry I couldn't attend the festival!!!

    September 2019
    Helpful