The Garda Cinema Film Festival is a film event to be held in Garda (Lake Garda, Verona - Italy) from 11th to 15th June 2025.

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 five-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 “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 "Oltre il confine" ("Beyond the border").
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 "Cortile del Municipio di Garda" (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 2025 and published on the Festival official website by 5th June 2025 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 5th June 2025, 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.

Documentaries (max 30 minutes lenght) and Short films (max 20 minutes lenght) produced worldwide in the two-year period 2024/25, are admitted to one of the two competitive sections (Shorts and Documentaries). The selection committee may evaluate some exceptions on the leght of films, due to the artistic merits, at its sole discretion.
The works will be presented in original format, or in one agreed with the producer or with the author, with subtitles in Italian.
The number of works admitted to the competition section will be defined by the artistic direction and may change according to the needs of planning and project coherence.
The main theme of this edition is "Oltre il confine" ("Beyond the border", understood in the sense of geographical, spiritual, personal, of knowledge, everything that makes us measure ourselves with what is other than us)

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:
A) Registration for Documentaries and Short Films is done through the online submission platform www.filmfreeway.com/gardacinema indicated also in the festival's website www.gardacinema.com Specify to which of two sections you want to enroll the film.
The following materials are required:
- Film (.mov or mp4 format - h264) - DCP OR PRORES ARE NOT ADMITTED)
- Synopsis (.doc format, rtf or pdf, 500 characters max)
- Long Synopsis (.doc format, rtf or pdf, 1000 characters max)
- Biography of the director (.doc format, rtf or pdf, 500 characters max ).
B) Payment of a 5 euros fee is required for early submission (by march 25th), and 7 euros fee for regular submission (by april 21st).
C) The submission of the film implies acceptance of these regulations. For matters not covered by the regulations, the organization of the festival will have the final decision.
D) All materials must arrive no later than 10th May 2025.
E) Acceptance of the regulations authorizes Garda Cinema to use the films selected for competition in the category Doc, Shorts and in any other activities directly organized or sponsored by the festival itself, even outside of the dates of the festival.

ADMISSION TO COMPETITION
The artistic direction will inform about the official entry in the competition of films in selection by 30th April 2025. Upon receipt of this communication, the following material should be sent, with absolute priority, by e-mail or through a file transfer service to selezione@gardacinema.com :
- File for film screening (.mov or mp4 file format - h264 - DCP OR PRORES ARE NOT ADMITTED)
- Italian subtitles in .srt format, if available
- Subtitles in English, or, if available, the English dialogue list
- Synopsis (.doc format, rtf or pdf, 500 characters max)
- Long Synopsis ((.doc format, rtf or pdf, 1000 characters max)
- Biography of the director (.doc format, rtf or pdf, 500 characters max)
- 2 stills (both in 1280x780 and 1280x1020) e director’s picture (both in 1280x780 and 1280x1020)
- Technical details of the film (.doc format, rtf or pdf)
- Poster
- Trailer
- Awards and eventually other festival admissions

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Cassidy Rast

    This is a true gem of a festival. Everyone was so nice to us and made us feel very special as filmmakers. The setting was absolutely gorgeous and the variety of films they played were fantastic. 5 stars!

    January 2025
  • Lucila Riggio

    Un festival con un programma molto curato è in rapida crescita. Grazie!

    July 2024
  • I couldn't attend in person but the whole team is listening and the communication is great. Glad my movie NATURE TTACK is showing in this lovely town.

    August 2023
  • Nikki Hevesy

    Everyone was very communicative and very helpful. The place looked beautiful and we were very happy to have our film A Year to Life premiere in Italy before the USA premiere this next month. Thank you.

    July 2023
  • Una bellissima prima edizione per questo festival!
    Grazie a tutti gli organizzatori per l'accoglienza.

    June 2021