The 21st River Film Festival is an international film festival that will take place in Padua, Italy, from the 2nd to 19th June 2027.

The Festival is organized by the Cultural Association Researching Movies and is supported by the Padua City Council, the Veneto Region, and the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Padua has recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and the city’s 14th-century fresco cycles, making it a truly special art city that attracts tourists and creative minds from all over the world.

All screenings are free and open to the public — no ticket required.

The selected films will once again be screened on a floating screen placed in the middle of the 16th-century fluvial port at Porta Portello, the historic city gate once used for trade between Padua and Venice. This magical setting is just one of the many reasons why audiences return to RiFF year after year.

Over the course of the 18-day festival, directors and their crews will have the opportunity to present their films and engage in post-screening Q&A sessions with the audience.

Awards & Prizes

The "GOLDEN RIVER" Jury Prize (a Murano glass Osella with 24K gold leaf, created by Venetian artists) will be awarded to the best film in the following categories:

LONG FEATURE FILM - MAIN COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL HORIZONS SHORTS
ITALIAN GAZES SHORTS
ANIMATION SHORTS
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
FILM SCHOOLS SHORTS
QUEER/LGBTQIA+ SHORTS
ANTHROPOCENE SHORTS

The "GOLDEN RIVER" will be delivered to the winner or his representative by the jury during the awards ceremony on 19 June 2027. Any shipping of the prize is the responsibility of the recipient.

Audience Award Laureate and Certificate will be awarded to the best film in the following categories:

VIRTUAL REALITY
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHORTS

Rules & Terms

How to Submit
Via FilmFreeway (a maximum of three entries per director).
Pay the entry fee:

LONG FEATURE FILM

Early bird deadline: 31 October 2026 – €30.00
Regular deadline: 31 December 2026 – €45.00
Late deadline: 31 March 2027 – €60.00

SHORT FILMS

Early bird deadline: 31 October 2026 – €25.00
Regular deadline: 31 December 2026 – €35.00
Late deadline: 31 March 2026 – €45.00

The entry fee is waived for a single submission if the applicant resides in one of the Least Developed Countries.

Terms & Conditions
Films must have been completed after 1 January 2026.
Eligible formats include feature films and short films (documentary, student films, films from film schools, Virtual Reality, narrative, fiction, or animation).
The total running time for short films must be between 100 seconds and 30 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
Short films can be in any language and genre. All non-English films must include English subtitles in a separate .srt file (not embedded in the video file; .mov or .mp4 using H.265 codec is preferred, uncompressed if possible).
Submission to the Festival implies unconditional acceptance of the published regulations. In case of dispute, the festival organizers reserve the right of final decision on all matters not explicitly addressed in the regulations. Legal jurisdiction belongs to the Law Courts of Padova.

Selection
Films will be selected by a panel of judges appointed by the Festival. The decision of the selection committee is final.
No work or artist will be discriminated against or favored based on country of origin, language, age, race, education, gender, ideology, or economic status. All forms, contents, and techniques are welcome, with no censorship other than what is mandated by current Italian law.
Finalists will be notified via our website or by email by 15 May 2027. The River Film Festival will make every effort to announce the selected films and winners on time, but cannot be held responsible for any unforeseen delays.
The catalogue listing the selected films will be published after 15 May 2027.

Awarded Films
The rights holders of winning films must deposit a copy in .mov, .mp4, or a similar high-quality, low-compression format for archival purposes. This copy will be used exclusively for study and research. Any other use will require explicit permission from the rights holders.
Whenever shown, winning films must include a mention of the award received at the River Film Festival.
35 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mehran Ranjbar

    Hello,
    River Film Festival offered a truly valuable experience for any filmmaker.
    The strong jury panel, along with the sharing of materials such as the trailer, Instagram posts, and the official catalog, made it a unique and memorable experience for me.

    July 2025
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  • Kevin Van Doorslaer

    We had a wonderful experience. Like cinema should be. Open air. Open for all. Very cinematic. Romantic. Beautiful.

    June 2025
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  • Daria Zekert

    Atmospheric location, the friendliest hosts — will definitely come back! Thank you RiFF for having us!

    June 2025
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  • Francesco Barozzi

    An enchanting location and a selection of films curated with intelligence and heart. Happy to have participated!

    June 2025
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  • Satoru Okabe

    This is a wonderful film festival.
    There were large audiences every day and the acoustics were excellent.
    Padova has many historical sights and is a great city for dining and shopping.
    Thank you very much.

    June 2025
    Helpful