Corto e Cultura Film Festival (19)

Festival start: 29 July 2026      Festival end: 31 July 2026

Stories of sea, life, and cinema.

At the Corto e Cultura Film Festival, cinema comes alive among the ancient walls of Manfredonia and the Gargano sea: shorts and documentaries that tell stories of the world, emotions, and people—with poetry, humor, and heart.

Every screening is a journey: stories of life, love, challenges, dreams, and landscapes that speak about us. A festival where the audience is not a passive spectator, but a protagonist: they applaud, reflect, laugh, and decide the Audience Award.

The competition includes several sections:

Narrative Shorts – life stories, emotions, and small and great gestures that reveal the human experience.
Short Documentaries – authentic perspectives on the world, blending reality and poetry.
Environmental / Green – ecology, sustainability, territory, climate change.
Territorial / Local – works connected to the festival’s territory.
Animations – imagination and creativity to explore social and cultural themes.
Debut Works – innovative, experimental pieces dedicated to emerging talents.
International

Organized by Angeli, founded by Anna Rita, the festival supports young artists, celebrates the territory, and brings cinema beyond borders: submissions come from Italy, Europe, and America, confirming Corto e Cultura’s international vocation.
For info and submissions: www.cortoecultura.com
– info@cortoecultura.it

Come to Manfredonia, listen to the sea, experience cinema. Here, stories come alive.

Best Film
Best Short Film – Sea Stories
Best Short Film – “The Woman, Violence and Life”
Best Local Short Film
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Music
Best Actor
Best School Short Film
Best Short Film – Legality
Best Unproduced Screenplay
Awards & Prizes
The Corto e Cultura Film Festival honors outstanding independent cinema with unique awards crafted by master artisans from the Puglia region. Each prize is an artwork that embodies history, creativity, and the cultural identity of our territory.

Riccardo Armature Medievali – Handcrafted Mini Medieval Armor
A truly exclusive award created by Riccardo Armature Medievali, a Puglian craftsman specializing in historically accurate reconstructions of 15th‑century Italian armor.

Winners receive a hand‑forged miniature armor, crafted using traditional metalworking techniques. Key features:

historically accurate late‑medieval design

fully handmade metalwork

meticulous attention to detail

a unique piece created specifically for the festival

A symbol of strength, dedication, and artisanal excellence.

Ceramica dell’Angelo – Kantharos
Awards inspired by the ancient Daunian culture (7th–4th century BC), reinterpreted with a contemporary artistic touch.

Each piece is handmade and hand‑painted, featuring decorations that recall:

stylized human figures

spirals and geometric motifs

primordial symbols from Daunian heritage

Prizes include:

Daunian stele in ceramic

original artistic works

hand‑decorated ceramic pieces

Every award is a refined, elegant fragment of ancient history.

Official Printed Certificate
All winners also receive an official printed certificate, produced on premium paper and personalized with:

the winner’s name

award category

film title

signature of the artistic direction

the festival seal

A professional document designed to be displayed, archived, or added to the filmmaker’s portfolio.

Awards That Tell a Story
The prizes of the Corto e Cultura Film Festival are not simple trophies. They are works of art, living testimonies of Puglia’s cultural heritage, created to honor those who bring new stories to the screen.

1. ORGANIZERS
The 19th edition of the Corto e Cultura Film Festival is organized by the cultural and social promotion association Angeli of Manfredonia (FG), Italy.

2. OBJECTIVES
The Festival aims to promote, through cinema, poetry, culture, and the arts, the enhancement of both local and national territories.

3. FESTIVAL DATES
The 19th edition will take place in July 2026 in Manfredonia (FG). Venue and schedule will be announced in due time on the website: www.cortoecultura.com and through the press.

4. COMPETITION

4.1 Short Film Section – “Corto e Cultura Film Festival Award 2026”

a) Submissions are open to any cinematic genre, in Italian or in any other language with Italian subtitles. Each participant may submit up to two short films. Works previously screened or awarded in other festivals are allowed, provided they have not participated in previous editions of the Corto e Cultura Film Festival.

b) Eligible works may be produced in any format or technique, with a maximum duration of 30 minutes, and must have been completed on or after January 1, 2023.

c) Themes may include: – Free Theme – Legality – Women: violence, life, and personal rebirth – Stories of Land and Sea – Immigration and Human Rights – Crisis, Youth, and Work

d) Submission is to payment.

e) Screening links must be sent via festhome.com

The same email must include: – the completed and signed “Short Film Entry Form”; – a folder containing at least two stills from the short film (jpg format); – a folder containing the director’s biography/filmography and a synopsis of the short film (5–10 lines) in .doc format, font “Calibri (Body)”, size 18.

f) Each author is responsible for the content of the work and for the use of copyrighted music, unless original music is used. The author also declares that the work contains no defamatory content.

4.2 Screenplay Section – “Corto e Cultura Film Festival 2026”

a) Submissions are open to all unpublished screenplays written in Italian and/or in the original language with an Italian translation.

Each participant may submit one or two screenplays. Works previously submitted or awarded in other competitions are allowed, provided they have not participated in previous editions of the Corto e Cultura Film Festival.

b) Submission is subject to payment

c) Screenplays must be sent via email in .doc format, up to a maximum of ten pages, to: info@cortoecultura.com. The same email must include: – the completed and signed “Screenplay Section Entry Form”; – a file containing the synopsis of the screenplay (5–10 lines) in .doc format, font “Calibri (Body)”, size 18. (Submission deadline: 25/05/25.

d) The theme is subject to payment

e) The winner of the 1st Prize must present the content of the screenplay verbally in a maximum of 5 minutes.

f) Each author is responsible for the content of the work and declares that it contains no defamatory material.

5. PRESELECTION AND SELECTION

a) All submitted works will be preselected by a committee composed of the organizers and members of the Angeli association.

b) Selected short films and screenplays will be published in a list on the website www.cortoecultura.com.

c) The authors of selected short films will be contacted by the organizers, who will communicate the date and time of the screening.

6. FESTIVAL awards
The jury will assign the following awards and/or recognitions: – Best Film – Best Short Film “Stories of the Sea” – Best Short Film on Immigration – Best Short Film “Women, Violence, and Life” – Best Short Film of the Territory – Best Direction – Best Cinematography – Best Editing – Best Music – Best Actor – Best School Short Film – Best Short Film on Legality – Best Unpublished Screenplay: awarded to the top 3 screenplays.

7. GENERAL RULES
a) The jury may assign one or more awards, mentions, or special prizes.

b) Only winners who are physically present at the final evening will be awarded.

c) For reasons of force majeure or organizational improvements, the regulations and/or dates may be modified, with notice published on www.cortoecultura.com.

d) Participation in the Competition implies full acceptance of these Regulations.
The festival reserves the right to extend the prizes in the case of particularly valuable works or special mentions.

NOTE: The physical prize will not be shipped by mail! You must attend the award ceremony to collect it. This is essential.
e) For information: info@cortoecultura.com – Tel. +39 338 3422887