CENERE FilmFest - Udine (2)

Inicio Festival: 06 noviembre 2026      Fin Festival: 08 noviembre 2026

EMERGING CINEMA - NEW EXPERIENCES - EXPRESSIVE RESEARCH

Enthusiastically surprised by the success of the first edition, 49 Gradi is proud to present the second edition of CENERE FilmFest, an independent film festival.

The competition is part of two days of screenings and training in the city located in the heart of the FVG region, with the aim of breaking down all conventions on Italian and local independent film production.

Two days of short films, feature films, workshops, and interviews aimed at providing a showcase for young talent and new ideas that struggle to find a place in traditional Italian cinema.

Each edition of CENERE FilmFest chooses a theme that links the screenings and can be an inspiration for its competition.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Friuli earthquake disaster and in memory of its victims and reconstruction, the 2026 edition chooses: “CATACLYSM: external and internal upheavals, and reconstruction.”

Awards & Prizes:

OFFICIAL SECTION:
- Best Film
- Best Actor/Actress
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Documentary

AI FIRST SECTION:
- Best AI Film

FVG YOUTH SECTION:
- Best Film

Rules & Terms

1A. COMPETITION CATEGORIES: OFFICIAL SECTION

Open category for short films

Requirements:

- There are no age or experience limits for registration.

- Participants in the competition category are required to be residents of one of the following:

a. Italian Republic
b. State of San Marino

Registration:

- The registration fee is specified.

- There are two successive registration windows, differentiated by the amount of the registration fee.

These are defined in terms of “Earlybird” and “Regular,” in line with Festhome platform standards.

1B. COMPETITION CATEGORIES: AI FIRST

Open category for short films that make partial or full use of AI tools for filming, special effects, writing, or any other use declared in the credits. The works will be evaluated and awarded based on their level of quality and technical innovation.

Requirements:

- There are no age or experience limits for registration.

- Participants in this competition category must be residents of one of the following:
a. Italian Republic
b. State of San Marino

- Declaration of the tools used during the credits of the short film.

Registration:

- The registration fee is specified.

- There are two successive registration periods, differentiated by the amount of the registration fee.

These are defined as “Earlybird” and “Regular,” in line with Festhome platform standards.

1C. COMPETITION CATEGORIES: FVG YOUTH SECTION

This category is reserved for young people and students of secondary schools in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, with the aim of encouraging their active participation in a dedicated competition class.

Requirements:

- Participants in this competition category must be resident/domiciled in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

- Registration is exclusively reserved for works created by persons who meet at least one of the following requirements:

a. Be born after January 1, 2006.
b. Be, at the time of registration, regularly enrolled in a high school in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

- All members of the crew who worked on the project must meet at least one of the above requirements, otherwise the work will be excluded.

The only exceptions are the following individuals, who are therefore not required to meet any of the above requirements:

a. Any actor;
b. Transportation managers;
c. Other logistical support members.

- The organizing staff of CENERE FilmFest or 49° ETS reserves the right to verify by any means that the above requirements are met. Any failure to provide proof of compliance with these requirements may result in automatic exclusion of the work.

Registration:

- Registration for the category is FREE.

- Registration is subject to the entry of a password.
If you meet the registration requirements and do not have a password, please write to cenere@49gradi.it, and we will respond as soon as possible!

2. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

- Each director may submit one film only. Any additional films submitted will be automatically rejected.

- For a film to be considered eligible, it must have been completed no more than one year prior to the date of submission.

- Films may not be submitted outside of the exclusive Festhome platform.

- Participants whose work meets all the requirements of both competition categories are free to select the one they prefer. If they choose to participate in the Official Section category, they are still required to pay the registration fee corresponding to the current registration window.

- Entries of a work in both Competition Categories will not be accepted. Any subsequent entry of the same work will be considered void. In this case, 49° reserves the right not to refund the registration fee.

3. CONTENT

- Short films of any genre are accepted.

- The theme is open.

- It is strictly forbidden to submit works containing pornographic or child pornographic material, under penalty of exclusion of the work.

4. LANGUAGE

- Works in any language are accepted.
CENERE FilmFest warmly encourages the use of languages other than Italian for the purposes of added artistic value and realistic representation.

- If the language is other than Italian, Italian subtitles must be superimposed, under penalty of exclusion of the work.
Only short expressions will be allowed without subtitles.

5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

- Duration: The duration of the work must be a maximum of 20 minutes, including credits.

- Aspect ratio: Works submitted with any aspect ratio are accepted.

- Technical details: Works for pre-selection must be uploaded to the Festhome platform in H264 format, FullHD (1920x1080) with any subtitles superimposed. If selected, the organizers may request other specific formats for submission.

6. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

- Decisions made by the CENERE Film Fest organizing staff are final and cannot be appealed.

- Decisions made by the CENERE FilmFest jury are final and cannot be appealed.

- If the CENERE FilmFest organizing staff finds that false statements or other irregularities have occurred during or after the completion of the registration, it reserves the right to penalize the participant by excluding them from the competition. In this case, it also reserves the right not to proceed with the reimbursement of participation fees such as the registration fee.

- By registering a work with CENERE FilmFest, the participant releases 49 Gradi ETS from involvement in any dispute that may arise, either before or after, regardless of its nature.

- By registering a work with CENERE FilmFest, the participant grants 49 Gradi ETS permission to screen the work and agrees not to claim any rights to the screening.

The participant agrees that the date of the aforementioned screening will be communicated to them unilaterally on the date decided by the CENERE FilmFest organization, and that the aforementioned screening will be FREE OF CHARGE.

- The regulations set out herein were last revised on January 21, 2025, and may be subject to additions or amendments until the closing date for entries.

49 Gradi ETS will promptly communicate any major changes by the means it deems most appropriate.

In the event described above, 49 Gradi ETS reminds participants of the following point in the rules:

- Participants have the right to withdraw their work from the competition at any time until the closing date for entries. The entry fee will not be refunded.

- By registering a work with CENERE FilmFest, participants implicitly agree to these rules in their entirety and promise to abide by their terms and conditions.

Awards & Prizes:

OFFICIAL SECTION:
- Best Film
- Best Actor/Actress
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Documentary

AI FIRST SECTION:
- Best AI Film

FVG YOUTH SECTION:
- Best Film