Passo San Marco Film Festival: where earth meets sky. A high-altitude stage for cinematic visionaries.
We are looking for bold, impactful, and unforgettable short films—works capable of holding their own against a magnificent Alpine backdrop during our open-air screenings in August.
Our universe is divided into three distinct, high-impact categories:
Fiction: We want compelling narratives, authentic human truths, and uncompromising storytelling. Whether it is an epic drama or an intense, focused slice of life, we want films that stir our audience's emotions.
Animation: This is the realm of pure, unadulterated imagination. From the mastery of traditional hand-drawn art to cutting-edge digital techniques, we seek animators capable of building fantastic worlds and thought-provoking stories.
Documentaries: Here, cinema sheds its makeup and looks reality straight in the eye. We aren't looking for mere reportage or dry educational lectures; we want creative documentaries with soul. Show us untold human stories, hidden subcultures, or raw truths captured through your lens. If you can find poetry in the real world and turn your camera into an instrument of discovery, this is your arena. Bring us your truth—unfiltered.
We care about your vision, not your budget. We want films that leave the audience buzzing with excitement long after the credits roll. Pack your bags, refine your edit, and send us your best work. We guarantee that every single film will be viewed and evaluated by industry professionals.

Awards & Prizes

Best Fiction Short Film – €400
Best Actor – €200 (fiction short film category)
Best Actress – €200 (fiction short film category)
Best Animated Short Film – €400
Best Screenplay – €200 (from either the fiction or animated short film categories)
Best Documentary – €400
Best Cinematography – €200 (across all categories)
Best Soundtrack – €200 (across all categories)

Rules & Terms

Passosanmarco Film Festival – Rules and Regulations

1. Introduction and Objectives
The Passosanmarco Film Festival celebrates independent cinema by providing a showcase for emerging and established filmmakers from all over the world. The festival exclusively accepts submissions for short films, divided into three competitive categories.

2. Categories in Competition
Works can be submitted to one of the following three sections:

Fiction Shorts: Narrative works of any cinematic genre (drama, comedy, thriller, sci-fi, etc.). Maximum runtime: 30 minutes, including credits.

Animation Shorts: Works created using any animation technique (2D, 3D, stop-motion, mixed media). Maximum runtime: 30 minutes, including credits.

Documentary Shorts: Non-fiction works, creative, investigative, or nature documentaries. Maximum runtime: 45 minutes, including credits.

3. Eligibility Requirements

Production Year: Works must have been completed after January 1, 2020.

Premiere Status: No premiere status is required; films already screened or awarded at other festivals are eligible.

Language and Subtitles:

Italian-language films should preferably include English subtitles.

Foreign-language films must include Italian or English subtitles for the selection phase. If selected for the official screening, filmmakers must provide an Italian subtitle file (.srt) or a dialogue list.

4. Submission Guidelines and Fees

Submissions must be made exclusively online via the FilmFreeway platform.

Each author may submit multiple works, even within the same category. A separate submission and fee payment are required for each film.

Deadlines and Entry Fees:

Earlybird Deadline: by July 20, 2026 – €10

Regular Deadline: by August 10, 2026 – €15

Entry fees are non-refundable under any circumstances, including non-selection or film disqualification.

5. Selection and Required Materials

Films will be evaluated at the final and unappealable discretion of the Festival's selection committee.

Filmmakers of the selected works will be notified by August 11, 2026.

In case of selection, the author must promptly provide (within 3 days of notification):

A high-resolution video file for the screening (Recommended format: ProRes or MP4/MOV H264 in HD/4K).

The film poster, synopsis (in Italian and English), and 2 production stills.

A photo and a short biography/filmography of the director.

6. Rights, Usage, and Privacy

Responsibility: Submitting a film to the festival constitutes a declaration that you are the legal owner of all usage rights for the work (including rights to images, music, and copyrighted texts). The Passosanmarco Film Festival is not responsible for any copyright infringement or unauthorized use by the applicants.

Promotion: Participants authorize the festival to use the film title, trailer, posters, and a maximum of 30 seconds of video clips for promotional, advertising, and archival purposes related to the festival's communication (social media, website, press kit).

Screenings: Selected works will be screened publicly during the festival. No screening fees will be paid by the organization unless otherwise agreed in advance.

7. Acceptance of the Rules
Submitting a film via FilmFreeway implies unconditional acceptance of all points in these regulations. For any dispute not covered by this text, the final decision rests with the Festival's Artistic Direction. The competent court for any legal disputes is the Court of Sondrio (Italy).