The Garda Cinema Film Festival is a film event to be held in Garda (Lake Garda, Verona - Italy) from 10th to 14th June 2026.
Garda Cinema features one Short Films competition, and two prizes for best Fiction Film and best Documentary, plus books presentation and meetings with authors by the lake.
The festival represents the evolution of the four-year experience of the Bardolino Film Festival, and, conceived by the same creative staff led by the Artistic Director Franco Dassisti, and organized by the “La Decima Musa” Cultural Association, chaired by Dr. Nica Currò, aims to broaden its horizons by looking at the entire Lake Garda area.
The main theme of this edition is "Cercando la felicità" ("Looking for Happiness").
Garda is one of the most glamorous places on the namesake Garda Lake, with a beautiful lakeside promenade, characteristic typical restaurants and comfortable and welcoming hotels.
Main Venues of the festival are the "Arena Garda Cinema" (open air) and the "Sala Congressi" (Indoor).
The Festival Jury, consisting of members from the artistic and academic fields, will decide the prize awards and the decisions of the jury are final.
The list of the selected films will be communicated to selected films producers and/or directors by 30th April 2026 and published on the Festival official website by 4th June 2026 and the films included in this list will be screened during the Festival.
The selected films are prohibited from communicating their selection in competition before 4th June 2026, under penalty of exclusion from the competition.
The prize for the winner of both documentary and fiction films is 750 euros each. Moreover, mentions will be awarded by the juries for the most deserving films (animation included), which will be awarded with the "Bissa", historical boat symbol of the Garda Lake.
The Festival Organization reserves itself the right to cancel, vary, integrate awards and mentions. Prize money will be sent by bank transfer within 60 days from the end of the Festival, subject to prior communication of the bank account details by the recipient.
