Alice nella Città 2026
24th Edition | Rome, 14–25 October 2026
1. ORGANIZATION
Alice nella Città is a Festival organized by Cultural Association Playtown Roma, which holds all copyrights on the event’s name and logo.
Alice nella Città is an international film festival dedicated to debut films, emerging talent and the discovery of new perspectives connected to the younger generation.
2. IDENTITY AND MISSION
Founded in 2003, the Festival is now one of Europe's leading platforms for dialogue between cinema and young audiences.
An independent international festival running parallel to the Rome Film Fest, it promotes quality cinema without restrictions of genre or language, with a particular focus on innovation, artistic research and new trends in the international audiovisual landscape.
Directed by Gianluca Giannelli and Fabia Bettini, the Festival is a permanent laboratory for training and discussion: a meeting place for authors, directors, actors, producers, students and spectators, capable of nurturing an active and aware cultural community.
Alice nella Città also acts as a talent incubator and accelerator, supporting and promoting independent cinema and emerging voices in filmmaking.
The Festival serves as an educational platform active throughout the year, involving schools, students and young juries who participate directly in the viewing and evaluation of the selected works.
3. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The 24th edition will take place in Rome from 14 to 25 October 2026 and will present a programme divided into:
• Young Adult Competition (up to 14 feature films)
• Out of Competition (up to 12 feature films)
• Panorama Italia (up to 12 Italian works, including fiction and documentaries)
• Short Film Competition
• Special events and initiatives
The programme also includes meetings, masterclasses with international acclaimed filmmakers and artists, and in-depth discussions with professionals from the national and international film industry.
4. AWARDS
4.1 FEATURE FILMS
• Best Film – Young Adult Competition
• Panorama Italia – Audience Award
• Best 1st Feature Award
• Special Mentions and additional prizes awarded by the Artistic Direction
4.2 SHORT FILMS
• Best Short Film – International Competition
• Best Short Film – Panorama Italia Competition - Raffaella Fioretta Award
• Premiere Film Award, consisting of an annual festival distribution contract for a short film without prior distribution
• Rai Cinema Channel Award, consisting of an acquisition agreement
• Audience Award
• Special Mentions
5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Works completed no earlier than 1st October 2025 are eligible.
Works must not have been previously screened in Europe (except for possible screenings in the country of origin). Priority will be given to world and international premieres.
Films longer than 40 minutes (including titles) are not eligible in the Short Film Section.
All works must be submitted in their original version with English subtitles.
The selection of works is the sole responsibility of the Artistic Direction and the Selection Committee.
The Festival reserves the right to make exceptions to the above admissions rules.
6. HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Registration must be completed via the FilmFreeway platform with the required materials uploaded, full acceptance of the rules and payment of the appropriate fee.
The early-bird submission deadline is 18th of June 2026.
The regular submission deadline is 11th of August 2026.
The preselection form exempts ACPlaytownRoma from verify the legitimacy of the submitter (who will also be considered the film contact) and implies the legal acceptance of these regulations.
Selected works will receive a formal invitation and must confirm their participation within August 31st 2026 through a selection entry form. Acceptance of the invitation implies an irrevocable commitment to participate and to comply with the organisational conditions.
The invitation of a film must remain strictly confidential until the Festival programme has been officially announced. Failure to comply will result in its exclusion from the selection.
Acceptance of the invitation entails the commitment not to withdraw the film and to allow the required public screenings.
7. SCREENING COPIES AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The following materials must be received by the Festival no later than 18th September 2026.
2 DCP
Copies of films sent in the Digital Cinema Package format (DCP) must strictly comply with DCI directives and be recorded on hard-disks (with SATA interface for ingest –CRU) in NTFS –EXT2 - EXT3 formats only.
If the DCP is protected by KDM, the opening of the same is requested from the date of shipment of the copy and extend until October 30th, for all servers specified by the organization.
With the exception of DCP submissions, the Festival reserves the right to decide, on the basis of its own organizational requirements, to transfer any other exceptionally-admitted materials to hard-drive using “normal ingest” procedures.
The Festival reserves the right to refuse prints that Festival technicians deem to be of unsatisfactory quality for a public screening.
Submitters of invited films must arrange the return of the copies with the Organization, so that they may be shipped, at the expense of the submitters, on or before November 7th 2026. Beyond that date redelivery is not guaranteed.
8. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES AND SUBTITLES
8.1 FEATURE FILMS
Copies of the selected films must be in the original version with English subtitles.
The organization will provide electronic Italian subtitles for the feature films.
For this reason, the presenters of invited films must also send the following materials to Alice nella Città within September 1st 2026:
Downloadable link of the final version of the film with English subtitles (final cut identical to the festival screening copy) Max 2GB
Final English spotting list with time codes in one of the following formats: .srt / .stl / .xml
8.2 SHORT FILMS
Copies of selected Short Films must include:
English subtitles if the original language is Italian
Italian and English subtitles if the original language is not Italian
All subtitling costs are borne by the presenter.
9. HOSPITALITY
9.1 FEATURE FILMS
Feature films selected in Competition will be represented at the Festival by a delegation comprising the director, the majority producer and one of the leading actors.
The Festival will provide bed & breakfast accommodation:
2 nights for European delegations
3 nights for non-European delegations
Feature films selected Out of Competition will be represented at the Festival by the director, with accommodation provided for:
2 nights for European guests
3 nights for non European guests
9.2 SHORT FILMS
Short Films selected in Competition, Out of Competition and Special Events will be represented at the Festival by the film director.
The festival will offer the short film director a reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses:
€ 300,00 for EU projects
€ 500,00 for non-EU projects.
The reimbursement will be issued after the Festival, upon presentation of the relevant invoices.
The attendance of directors is strongly recommended for the short films presentation at the festival.
10. CATALOGUE
All materials required for the Festival catalogue and film promotion must reach the Alice nella Città headquarters at the earliest convenience, and in any case no later than 7 September 2026, including:
Synopsis
Cast and credits
Biography and complete filmography of the director
Photographs of the director and actors
Stills from the film
A brief director’s statement
11. PRESS MATERIAL
Presenters of participating films must send the following press materials no later than September 1st 2026:
Digital press book
Clips / trailers / teasers
They must also provide digital images of the film and the director, video material (.avi/.mov) and clips.
All publicity and promotional material must include the mention:
“Film selected for Alice nella città 2026” together with the official Festival logo.
12. OFFICIAL LOGO
Acceptance of the Festival’s invitation of a film to take part in the event obligates the submitter to display the Alice nella Città official logo (provided by the Organization ) on all advertising materials used for the promotion of the film (posters, press kits, trailers, opening credits, official website), as well as on the copies presented at the Festival and those circulating in theatres after release. Moreover, all promotional material accompanying the release of films that have received awards at the Festival must also indicate the award won, using the official graphics provided by the Organization itself. The final graphics for the above-mentioned materials must be submitted to the Organization for verification and approval.
If the logos do not appear on the materials, the Organization reserves the right to send a formal reminder letter requesting their insertion, even after the Festival days.
13. PERMISSION FOR IMAGE/VIDEO/AUDIO USE
It’s a condition of participation that all participants agree that any photograph, recording or broadcast of their participation in the Festival will be the property of the Festival to use, rebroadcast, publish, distribute or reproduce in future promotional materials. Furthermore, all participants agree that this right is extended to televisions and media partners that will cover the Festival and consent to the recording (even at the presence of a specific sponsor, re-production and use of photos, audio and video recordings in any forms for promotional purpose (including without limitation, commercially sponsored, television, internet, on-line platform etc) free of charge.
14. SHIPPING AND INSURANCE
Shipping costs (delivery and return), including any customs charges, must be borne by the submitter.
Insurance costs for the delivery and the return of the films and printed material must also be borne by the submitters of the film.
ACPlaytownRoma provides “fully-comprehensive risk” insurance for the entire period during which the copies are in the care of the Festival. The insurance value of a film may not exceed the average laboratory costs for a standard copy.
15. GENERAL RULES
Participation in the Festival automatically entails observance of the present regulations.
Any cases that should arise which are not covered by the present regulations are at the discretion of the ACPlaytownRoma.
In the event of dispute, the Italian version of the present regulations shall prevail.
These regulations apply co exclusively to Alice nella Città Festival.
