Il Bradipo - Spazio di Cinema del Reale (1)

Festival start: 01 July 2027      Festival end: 04 July 2027

Il Bradipo is a cultural hub dedicated to documentary cinema and contemporary audiovisual practices, born in Acri (CS) with the goal of bringing cinema back to a territory without any cinematic offer. The festival promotes an idea of cinema as a collective, accessible experience rooted in reality, capable of activating cultural and social processes.

We invite filmmakers and authors from around the world to submit independent works, with a particular focus on bold, independent cinema capable of interrogating reality, crossing margins, and giving voice to what remains invisible. Il Bradipo values the originality of perspectives and the power of ideas, regardless of production resources.

The Festival is built on the idea of a popular cinema. The works in the programme will be evaluated by a Community Jury, selected before the festival through an open and voluntary call.
The Community Jury attends all festival screenings. Jurors observe, discuss, and assess each work. At the end of the festival, they award an official prize for each of the three sections: the work that left the deepest mark on the community that welcomed it.

The jury reserves the right, in agreement with the artistic direction, to assign special mentions.
The audience is not a passive spectator, but an integral part of the cultural process – a shared experience of viewing, dialogue, and meaning-making. Festival spaces are designed to encourage conversation among viewers, fostering discussion and exchange before, during, and after every screening.

The Bradipo Token

At the entrance to each evening, every audience member receives a token from the presidio. At the end of the screenings, they find the dedicated jars for each film: simply drop your token into the jar of the work that moved you most – the one that made you question reality, or gave voice to the invisible.
The film that collects the most tokens each evening receives the Bradipo Golden Token: a symbolic recognition that the festival delivers to the filmmaker via a digital certificate.
A gesture of gratitude towards those who brought their film to the audience of Il Bradipo.

Films do not exist without an audience. It is in the gaze of those who experience them that they find their meaning: this is why evaluation is entrusted to the community.

Il Bradipo is a space of cultural activism, where cinema becomes a tool for connection, awareness, and transformation. Particular attention is given to works connected to marginal contexts, participatory practices, and narratives that challenge the dominant gaze.

Screenings take place in outdoor spaces, weather permitting, through sustainable installations. All events are free of charge, to ensure an inclusive and open experience.

Il Bradipo does not end with the festival
We are committed to including all selected films in the Cine Bradipo circuit. For an entire year, the festival will accompany the journey of each film through partner venues and cultural spaces, ensuring that every work continues to circulate beyond the festival itself – inhabiting new places and encountering new audiences, multiplying opportunities for viewing and dialogue in ever-changing contexts.

To learn more about Il Bradipo - Spazio di Cinema del Reale, our mission, local activities, project details, and behind-the-scenes insights, please visit our official website.

Awards & Recognition
We do not believe in awards as ends in themselves. The value of Il Bradipo lies in its ability to keep stories moving.


Il Bradipo will present four official awards, one for each festival section, assigned by the Community Jury at the close of the event. Awarded works will receive an official plaque from the presidio.

The Bradipo Golden Token will be awarded each evening to the film that receives the most tokens from the audience present at the screenings. The filmmaker receives a digital certificate via email.

For an entire year, moreover, the festival will carry the selected films through partner venues and cultural spaces within the Cine Bradipo screenings circuit, ensuring that every work continues to circulate – inhabiting new places and encountering new audiences.

We ask filmmakers and producers to accept a simple and transparent set of regulations.

1. The festival accepts works of documentary cinema, classic documentaries, and hybrid forms, without thematic restrictions, but with particular attention to social themes.

2. The maximum runtime of submitted works is 50 minutes.

3. There are no restrictions regarding the year of production.

4. Films must be in their original language, with subtitles in english or Italian.

5. Each submission corresponds to a single film. Multiple works require separate submissions.

6. The filmmaker declares that they hold all rights to the work, including those related to images, music, and any content used. The festival bears no responsibility for any copyright infringement.

7. The official selection is curated by the festival's artistic direction. The submission fee does not guarantee selection or the awarding of prizes.

7.1 Selected Films
At the conclusion of the selection process, the festival will contact filmmakers using the details provided at the time of submission to communicate the outcome. Filmmakers whose works are selected will subsequently be contacted by the festival's direction to confirm screening details and participation arrangements.

7.2 Technical Specifications for Screening
Selected films must be provided in digital format for projection. Preferred formats are:

• video file: .mp4 or .mov
• codec: H.264 or higher
• minimum resolution: Full HD (1920x1080)

Films must be submitted via Festhome.

In case of films in languages other than Italian, Italian subtitles must be embedded in the film file at the time of delivery for screening.

The festival reserves the right to conduct technical tests prior to screening and to request, if necessary, a new compatible file.

8. Selected films will be screened during the festival and may be included in the annual Cine Bradipo screening programme.
9. By submitting, filmmakers authorise the use of promotional materials – posters, images, trailers, or excerpts – for festival communications, on the website and social media channels.
10. online screenings of submitted works are not planned.
11. The festival does not provide screening fees or any other form of compensation for the screening of selected works.
12. The festival does not cover travel, accommodation, or living expenses for selected filmmakers. We will, however, be happy to welcome directors and provide organisational support, suggesting the best options for staying in and experiencing our territory during the festival days.

Participation in the festival implies full acceptance of these regulations. The festival's direction reserves the right to make decisions on all matters not covered by these guidelines.