Trieste Science+Fiction Festival is a multidisciplinary event devoted to the exploration of the realms of the 'fantastic' genre, and the use of new technologies and experimental languages in film, television and visual arts. The main purpose of Trieste Science+Fiction Festival is to present and promote, in Italy and in its neighboring countries, 'fantastic' productions from all over the world, focusing particularly on science fiction and fantasy cinematographic and audio-visual works.

Trieste Science+Fiction Festival is organized by the Italian film center La Cappella Underground. The Festival is supported by: Ministry for the Cultural Heritage - DGC, Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Municipality of Trieste, University of Trieste. Since 2005 Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has been a member of the M.I.F.F. – Méliès International Festivals Federation.

Awards & Prizes

The Festival features the following competitive sections:
• Asteroid Award - competition for best international science-fiction and fantasy feature-length film;
• Méliès d’argent Award - competition for best European feature-length and short film from the fantastic genre;

and the following non-competitive sections:
• Spazio Italia – selection of Italian productions from the fantastic genre open to both feature-lenght films and short films (Spazio Corto);
• Fantastic Shorts – selection of international short films from the fantastic genre;
• Mondofuturo – selection of international science(-fiction) documentaries, public meetings and lectures.
• Education Program – selection of international feature-length and short films from the fantastic genre. Programmes are targeted according to audience’s age, from 3 years old on. The section features educational activities and workshops open to students of schools and universities, educators and families.
• Artificial Universe – selection of short films incorporating Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) tools.
• premières and special events;
• retrospectives and special programs.
The Selection Committee of the Festival selects and invites the films, and assigns them to the competitive and non-competitive sections of the Festival.

Rules & Terms

PLEASE NOTE THAT FILMS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE FESTIVAL'S REGULATIONS (INCLUDING THE GENRE SPECIFICATIONS) OR THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY SUBMITTED IN THE PAST YEARS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

Regulations 2025 extract (full text available on the Festival's website):

Art. 4 Competition for best international science-fiction and fantasy feature-length film – Asteroid award The International Competition is restricted to feature-length films (running time: 70 minutes min.), completed in the 18 months prior to the Festival, shot in any format, and classified as science fiction and fantasy genres in their broadest sense. The competition is only for first, second or third feature-length films by emerging directors; the films must not have been released in Italy yet. The Board of the Festival shall appoint an International Jury of at least three movie professionals with the task of conferring the Asteroid Award to the best film.
The film awarded the Asteroid Award shall include the mention of the award in all promotional materials and in all forms of distribution (theatrical, home video and VOD), in accordance with the official graphic design provided by the Festival.

Art. 5 Competition for best European feature-length film from the fantastic genre - Méliès d’argent award The Méliès d’argent competition is organized in collaboration with the Méliès International Festivals Federation, and is restricted to recently produced European feature-length films (running time: 59 minutes min.) from the fantastic genre in its broadest sense. All films must be qualified as a European Production, according to the rules of the M.I.F.F. 1 . The final selection features at least six films; the films must not have been released in Italy yet. The Board of the Festival shall appoint a Jury of movie professionals with the task of awarding the Méliès d’argent to one of the films in competition. The same film may be selected at various M.I.F.F. festivals. A film that has won an award at one of the festivals of the Federation, however, cannot be screened in competition at the ensuing member festivals. The films awarded a Méliès d’argent participate in the yearly competition for the Méliès d’or (www.melies.org).
The film awarded the Méliès d’argent shall include the mention of the award in all promotional materials and in all forms of distribution (theatrical, home video and VOD), in accordance with the official graphic design provided by the Festival.
Art. 6 Competition for best European short film from the fantastic genre – Méliès d’argent award Admission to the Méliès d’argent award is restricted to short films (running time: 25 minutes max.), completed in the 18 months before the Festival, shot in any format, classified as science-fiction and fantasy genres in their broadest sense. All films must be qualified as a European Production, according to the rules of the M.I.F.F. 1 . The final selection features at least ten films; the films must not have been released in Italy yet. The Méliès d’argent will be awarded to the short film that gets the highest marks by the Festival's audience. The same film may be selected at various M.I.F.F.
festivals. A film that has won an award at one of the festivals of the Federation, however, cannot be screened in competition at the ensuing member festivals. The films awarded a Méliès d’argent participate in the yearly competition for the Méliès d’or (www.melies.org).
The film awarded the Méliès d’argent shall include the mention of the award in all promotional materials and in all forms of distribution (theatrical, home video and VOD), in accordance with the official graphic design provided by the Festival.
32 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Andres Aloi

    It was truly an honor to be a part of the Trieste Science Fiction Festival. It is a beautiful event with a great history. I'm especially grateful that they made the effort to include our film, which partly uses AI technology. It is a taboo subject for some, and I applaud the festival for having the courage and aperture to include films that engage with new techniques and mediums. The communication was great, and I hope I can be present next year, or soon.

    January 2025
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  • Turtle Studio Animation

    Bellissimo Festival , pieno di eventi.
    Un grazie a tutta l'organizzazione e speriamo di rivederci il prossimo anno!

    December 2024
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  • Bomar Studio

    Trieste Sci+Fi is just a great festival. it has the best audience and the best staff and the programming is very good as is very good the possibility for networking. we were invited for our film but definitely the festival deserves to be followed from first day to the end because it's just so good to be there!

    November 2024
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  • kevin shah

    Amazing festival with a long history of great films. Was an honor to screen my film 'Octodecapus' here

    November 2024
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  • Irene Altagracia Perez Lopez

    This festival is such a special experiance! This beautiful city is amazing, food and wine was just great. I had to pay for my trip down and was invited for two days at a ok hotel. I think the festival hosted all the filmmakers well. I would have like there to be more information in English for example all industry was almost all the time in Italian. Although I understood some of the Italian I couldn’t get the whole conversation. The best thing of all was the engagement towards genre film. Most films chosen by the jury were excellent. I’m happy that I went to Trieste. It will be one of the greatest festivals I have ever been to.

    November 2024
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