Social Film Festival ArTelesia Benevento (18)

Festival start: 05 October 2026      Festival end: 11 October 2026

The Social Film Festival ArTelesia is organized by the non-profit Cultural Association “Libero Teatro”.

The event is supported by the MIC Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual, the Film
Commission Campania Region, Cesvolab and the patronage of the Presidency of the Council of
Ministers, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education, University and Research, UNAR - National

Office against Racial Discrimination, the Province of Benevento, the Municipality of Benevento, the Chamber of Commerce of Benevento, Arcigay Napoli, the University Center Synapses of the Federico II University of Naples, the University of Sannio, the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples, the University of Salerno, the UCAM San Antonio de Murcia University (Spain), the CADMUS. Students from the aforementioned universities will participate in the organization of the fifteenth edition as Interns.

COMPETITION AWARDS

Best movie
Best Director
Best subject
Best photography
Best actor
Best actress
Best New Actor
Best Debut Actress
Best supporting actor
Best supporting actress
Best Costume Designer
Best Production Designer
Best location
Best soundtrack
AncheCinema distribution prize

From the XIV edition the Assanti Award for young emerging directors is established

Benevento Social Film Festival 2026

18th Edition

New Calls for Entries Published

The calls for entries are now open for the eighteenth edition of the Benevento Social Film Festival, an International Social Cinema Competition for schools and universities, emerging filmmakers, and professionals.

The event is promoted by the Cultural Association Libero Teatro, with the patronage and support of several Ministries, Universities, and public and private institutions.

The theme of the eighteenth edition is “Heroes.” There are five calls for entries: School and University, Filmmaker, DivAbili, Premieres, and Animation.

Themes of the School and University section:

I CARE – Environment and Sustainability: works inspired by the need to protect and safeguard the ecosystem;

CINELIBRIAMOCI: works inspired by Italian and world literature;

THE CLOCK AT 8:30 PM: good practices for sustainable development;

EDUCATION AND “CARE”: works inspired by the promotion of experiences that encourage reflection on emotional awareness in order to combat prejudice and gender stereotypes.

Special attention will be given to works created by students using mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, action cameras, and drones.

The DivAbili call, an exclusive competition of the Social Film Festival ArTelesia, is dedicated to works made by filmmakers with disabilities or involving actors with disabilities, not necessarily focused on disability-related themes. This initiative aims at genuine inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of cinema and performing arts.

For the other sections, the themes are:

I BELONG TO MYSELF: respect for one’s individuality, being beyond appearances, cultivating personal freedom against all forms of dependency;

INTEGRATION: respect for ethnic and cultural identity against all forms of discrimination, beyond cultural stereotypes;

ROOTS: discovery and enhancement of the historical and artistic heritage of local territories;

HORTOMETRAGGIO: stories of sustainable agriculture;

OPEN THEME.
An open theme is also allowed for all categories.

The final deadline for submitting works for the winter session is February 28, 2026.

The calls for entries and application forms can be downloaded from www.socialfilmfestivalartelesia.it
.

The pre-selection and selection procedures, based on criteria such as originality, effectiveness of the theme addressed, and technical quality, are detailed in the official regulations. In previous editions, short and feature films of very high quality from different parts of the world have been awarded, in a festival that has seen steadily growing public attendance and appreciation. The Festival is also characterized by a series of side events, including theatrical and musical performances, workshops, conferences, and meetings between industry professionals and students wishing to approach the world of cinema, art exhibitions, and spaces dedicated to promoting tourism and local resources, with the participation of qualified companies from the Sannio area.