FILM SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2026 EDITION - NOW OPEN!

In 2026 FERRARA FILM FESTIVAL will host its 11th edition!

The FERRARA FILM FESTIVAL is one of the most popular film festivals in Italy and stands out as the fastest-growing one in the country. It's a global film competition that drew in more than 40,000 attendees during its latest edition, culminating in the Golden Dragon Awards Ceremony. The event encompasses movie-themed collateral events, masterclasses, and entertainment shows.

The festival is hosted in the northern Italian City of FERRARA, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Ferrara Film Festival is an "IMDB Qualifier Festival" eligible.

The Ferrara Film Festival had big movie premieres in its competition, attended by major Italian and international movie stars, as well as world-famous directors, such as GIANCARLO GIANNINI, DANNY GLOVER, JIM SHERIDAN, KEVIN REYNOLDS, PAUL HAGGIS, EDOARDO LEO, ABEL FERRARA, KABIR BEDI, JEREMY PIVEN, STEVEN BAUER, NASTASSJA KINSKI, CAROL ALT, MARTINA STELLA, BILLE AUGUST, ALESSANDRO HABER, STEFANO FRESI, JANE ALEXANDER, CRISTIANA DELL'ANNA, GABRIELE CIRILLI, ROBERTO CIUFOLI, MANUELA ARCURI and many more.

FILM CATEGORIES - IMPORTANT INFO:
At the Ferrara Film Festival all the selected films will be divided in specific categories by our Organization. Our categories reflect the global nature and relevance of our festival. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? When you submit your film, all you have to do is to choose between “Feature Film”, “Short Film” and “Documentary” then, IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED, we'll independently put your film in the more specific category (see Awards & Prizes).

The awards of the Ferrara Film Festival are called Golden Dragons and they recall the legend and mythological figure of the dragon killed by St. George, which is the Patron Saint of Ferrara. For each edition of the Ferrara Film Festival 3 different juries will be assigned to choose the award winners in all categories. On top of it, special Career Achievement Golden Dragon Awards will be dedicated and given to prestigious personalities in the film Industry.

FILM CATEGORIES EXPLANATION
The motion pictures, both feature and short films, of a more commercial nature will be included in the category called PREMIERE EVENT, while those of a more authorial nature will be included in the category called PREMIERE AUTORE and the documentaries will fall into the PREMIERE DOCU category. The classic retrospective screenings program category will be called RETRO.

Explore our festival on www.ferrarafilmfestival.com

Awards & Prizes

The awards of the Ferrara Film Festival are called GOLDEN DRAGONS, which recall the legend and mythological figure of the Dragon killed by St. George (the Patron Saint of Ferrara).

For each edition of the Ferrara Film Festival juries will be assigned to choose the award winners in all categories.

NOTE: Special Career Achievement Awards will be dedicated and given to prestigious personalities in the Film Industry.

Further info on www.ferrarafilmfestival.com

Rules & Terms

RULES ON THE 11º FERRARA FILM FESTIVAL (2026 EDITION)

Feature Films (minimum runtime 60 minutes)
Short Films (maximum runtime 30 minutes)
• The Ferrara Film Festival does NOT pay any fees to screen any movies in our program. If you submit your film, you agree to this term.
• All selected FEATURE FILMS must be, at least, Italian premieres. Some exceptions are applied if a film is selected in another MAJOR film festival in Italy prior to Ferrara Film Festival (international festivals are OK).
• All selected SHORT FILMS must be at least regional premieres, meaning that a film can't participate to other film festivals in the Region of Emilia-Romagna, before Ferrara Film Festival.
• Films but must NOT have a public distribution (theatrical, streaming, online) prior to the current edition of Ferrara Film Festival. ​
• Each film can be any genre and from anywhere in the World.
• Films are accepted only if they are completed in the year of 2025 or 2026.

If you are a filmmaker from the Italian region Emilia-Romagna you have a 50% discount on your submission fee. For inquiries please write to: submissions@ferrarafilmfestival.com

PLEASE READ THE RULES CORRECTLY! The submission fee, once your film is submitted, cannot be refunded.

50 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • What Do You Want

    Honored to have Raised Anchor as a finalist at Ferrara Film Festival. We were not able to attend, but we truly appreciate the recognition and hope to collaborate with the festival in the future.

    April 2026
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  • Anton Burek

    Apparently my short narrative was accepted and screened. I accept all superlatives. Thank you.

    January 2026
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  • ROBERTO PILI

    We are so proud to have taken part in this Film Festival with our project "Deep Black"!!!

    November 2025
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  • Mikheil Gabaidze

    t was a great honor for me and my team to have our film screened at your wonderful festival. We truly hope that the jury members, the organizers, and cinema lovers enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

    We sincerely hope that your festival will become a bridge between us and lead to future collaborations and meetings at upcoming festivals.

    Wishing you continued success and inspiration in all your future editions.

    October 2025
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  • A. W.

    The level of dedication among the Italians at this film festival is truly astonishing. I dare say it ranks among the top three most promising film festivals in Italy. It provides an exceptionally high-quality exhibition platform for emerging filmmakers.

    October 2025
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