Terra di Siena International Film Festival (30)

Festival start: 13 October 2026      Festival end: 17 October 2026

Terra di Siena International Film Festival, now in its 29th edition, invites directors, actors, producers, and distributors to participate in the upcoming edition of the Festival, which will be held in Siena from October 13 to October 16, 2026. The Festival aims to promote film culture, to offer a meeting moment through screening high-quality films and a dialogue between industry professionals and the public.

For this edition, the Festival Jury has chosen not to assign specific themes for the entry call. However, it wishes to remind participants that in the awards category (point 3), there are long-standing recognitions for audiovisual works that aim to raise awareness on issues such as the environment and sustainability, with an eye towards the future.

The following categories are eligible for the competition:

· National or international feature films that last more than 60 minutes.

· National or international short films lasting less than 30 minutes.

· National experimental films of any duration, with independent production.

· National or international documentaries that last more than 40 minutes.

· Animated films of any duration.

3. The following awards will be given:
Short Films Section:

- Best Director Award
- Best Short Film Award
- Best Independent Short Film Award
- Sustainability Award

Feature Films Section:

- Best Documentary Award
- Best Leading Actress Award
- Best Emerging Actress or Actor Award
- Best Leading Actor Award
- Seguso Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Manuel De Sica Award for Best Composer
- Best Director Award
- Best International Film Award
- Best First Feature Award
- Sustainability Award
- Grand Jury Prize
- Audience Award
- Sanese d’Oro Award for Best Feature Film

The jury reserves the right to assign special mentions and additional awards.

1. Terra di Siena International Film Festival, now in its 29th edition, invites directors, actors, producers, and distributors to participate in the upcoming edition of the Festival, which will be held in Siena from October 13 to October 16, 2026. The Festival aims to promote film culture, to offer a meeting moment through screening high-quality films and a dialogue between industry professionals and the public.

For this edition, the Festival Jury has chosen not to assign specific themes for the entry call. However, it wishes to remind participants that in the awards category (point 3), there are long-standing recognitions for audiovisual works that aim to raise awareness on issues such as the environment and sustainability, with an eye towards the future.

2. The following categories are eligible for the competition:

· National or international feature films that last more than 60 minutes.
· National or international short films lasting less than 30 minutes.
· National experimental films of any duration, with independent production.
· National or international documentaries that last more than 40 minutes.
· Animated films of any duration.

3. The following awards will be given:

Short Films Section:
- Best Director Award
- Best Short Film Award
- Best Independent Short Film Award
- Sustainability Award

Feature Films Section:
- Best Documentary Award
- Best Leading Actress Award
- Best Emerging Actress or Actor Award
- Best Leading Actor Award
- Seguso Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Manuel De Sica Award for Best Composer
- Best Director Award
- Best International Film Award
- Best First Feature Award
- Sustainability Award
- Grand Jury Prize
- Audience Award
- Sanese d’Oro Award for Best Feature Film

The jury reserves the right to assign special mentions and additional awards.

4. Eligibility Requirements

National and international films produced after 2024 can participate.

Films must be presented in their original language. The film must be subtitled in Italian or english if the original language is not Italian.

Films presented in previous editions of the Festival are not eligible.

Films already available on paid streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Mubi, etc.) are not eligible.

The authors or producers of the selected works authorize the screening of their works during the Festival without requesting any compensation.

The authors or producers guarantee that they hold all the rights to the work, including musical rights.

5. Selection of Works

The selection of works will be carried out at the discretion and judgment of the Selection Committee.

The selected films will be announced by October 1st 2026. The authors of the selected works will receive an official notification via email.

In case of selection, an official high-resolution copy of the film or short film will be requested.

NOTE: By submitting, the work is not automatically selected to participate in the Terra di Siena International Film Festival. The possible selection will be communicated to the email address provided during registration.

6. Final Instructions

Participation in the Festival implies unconditional acceptance of these announcement. The organizing committee reserves the right to make changes to the regulations, which will be promptly communicated to the participants.