Officina Film Festival was established to promote independent cinema and provide a concrete showcase for new talents. Special attention will be given to innovative languages and productions addressing themes such as the environment, social rights, protection of minority languages and local traditions, homophobia, gender-based violence, or racial discrimination.

The official selection will be screened at the Antica Valeria Theater in Decimomannu (CA), Italy, from September 9th to 12th, 2026. During the festival, filmmakers will have the opportunity to engage directly with the audience and industry professionals through debates and in-depth sessions.

Awards & Prizes

The competition is open to professional and amateur filmmakers from all over the world.

Short Films: Maximum duration of 20 minutes.

Medium-length Films: Duration between 20 and 60 minutes.

Feature Films: Duration exceeding 60 minutes.

Première: Not required.

Awards:

Best Short Film

Best International Short Film

Best Short Film AI

Best Documentary

Best Feature Film

Social Impact Award

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award

Best Pilot (video or screenplay of the first episode of a series yet to be produced)

Sardinia Award (Best production in the Sardinian language, set in Sardinia, or directed by Sardinian filmmakers)

Individual Awards (included in the submission):

Best Director

Best Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Actor and Actress

Audience Award

Rules & Terms

All films in a language other than Italian must include Italian or English subtitles.

For the selection phase, films must be uploaded directly to FilmFreeway or via protected links (Vimeo/YouTube) with the corresponding password.

If selected for screening, authors must provide a high-quality file (format .mp4 or .mov, codec H.264/ProRes) within 10 days of notification.

Submissions must be made exclusively through FilmFreeway. Submission fees are non-refundable under any circumstances (including submission errors, disqualifications, or event cancellation due to force majeure). To maintain the festival's sustainability, requests for free waivers will not be accepted.

The festival reserves the right to change the deadline or event dates, communicating any changes promptly through its official channels.

By submitting the work, the sender declares to be the rightful owner of the film's rights and to have obtained all necessary clearances (music, archival footage, image rights of participants). Officina Film Festival will not be held responsible for the unauthorized use of copyrighted material within the submitted works.

Films will be evaluated by a technical jury appointed by the Festival management. The jury's decision is final. Selected filmmakers will receive an official notification via FilmFreeway by August 10th, 2026.

Winners will receive a trophy or, if not present at the awards ceremony, a digital certificate. Physical awards not collected during the ceremony may be shipped at the recipient's expense.

The submission of a work to Officina Film Festival implies full acceptance of these rules. The festival reserves the right to disqualify any work that does not comply with the technical or ethical requirements listed above.

Participants grant the Festival the right to use excerpts of the film (max 10% of the total duration), trailers, and promotional material (photos, posters) for advertising, press, and social media purposes.