Festival start: 28 February 2027
Festival end: 15 March 2027
FilmAmo Discovery Awards – International Independent Feature Film Festival is an international online festival dedicated to independent feature films, with a special focus on genre cinema and hybrid storytelling.
The festival is part of the FilmAmo ecosystem, a platform and community devoted to discovering, sharing and promoting cinema. Its aim is to create a concrete bridge between independent films, audiences and new distribution opportunities, offering visibility to works from all over the world with a strong cinematic identity, a distinctive voice and a real potential to connect with viewers.
The Official Selection is dedicated to international independent feature films and will be divided into five competitive sections, each corresponding to a major genre area. The festival welcomes horror, thriller, crime, science fiction, fantasy, independent drama, comedy, romance, dark comedy, hybrid works and films that do not easily fit into a single category.
FilmAmo Discovery Awards is not intended to be only a symbolic recognition, but a path of discovery, promotion and possible distribution. Selected films will be presented to the FilmAmo community through a dedicated online festival window, while category winners may access a FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity: the possibility of entering an On Demand distribution path on the FilmAmo platform, according to terms to be agreed with the rights holders.
The festival is addressed to producers, directors, distributors, sales agents and independent filmmakers looking for a context capable of giving value to their films not only in front of a jury, but also in front of a real, active and engaged audience.
The first edition will take place mainly online, with a final awards event planned in a cinema in Rome. The specific venue will be announced at a later stage.
## Awards
FilmAmo Discovery Awards will assign awards and recognitions to the best independent feature films selected in the festival’s five competitive sections.
The aim of the awards is not only to grant a symbolic recognition, but also to offer selected films and their authors a real opportunity for visibility, promotion and possible connection with audiences through the FilmAmo ecosystem.
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### Section Awards
An award will be assigned to the first-place winner of each of the five competitive sections.
4. **Rebel Stories**
Independent drama, coming of age, social cinema, road movie, stories of marginality.
5. **Offbeat Comedy & Romance**
Independent comedy, dark comedy, dramedy, romance, tragicomedy, eccentric or hybrid works.
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### First-Place Winner of Each Section
## **FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity**
The first-place winner of each section will receive a **FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity**, namely the possibility of entering an On Demand distribution path on the FilmAmo platform.
The FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity may include:
* On Demand distribution on FilmAmo;
* a dedicated film page on the platform;
* editorial promotion on the FilmAmo website;
* promotional campaign on FilmAmo’s social media channels;
* review or editorial feature;
* possible interview with the director, producer or main authors of the film;
* promotion through trailer, poster, stills and official materials;
* possible inclusion in newsletters or special content;
* revenue share with the rights holder, according to terms to be contractually defined.
The FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity does not constitute automatic distribution. Any distribution will be subject to rights clearance, territorial availability, delivery of the required technical materials, final editorial and technical approval, and the signing of a distribution agreement between FilmAmo and the rights holder.
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### Second-Place Winner of Each Section
## **FilmAmo Spotlight Award**
The second-place winner of each section will receive a promotional package through the FilmAmo website and connected social media channels.
The package may include:
* dedicated post on FilmAmo’s social media channels;
* Instagram and/or Facebook stories;
* editorial highlight on the website;
* possible short review or editorial feature;
* sharing of the trailer or other promotional materials;
* mention in the official festival recap.
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### Third-Place Winner of Each Section
## **FilmAmo Community Mention**
The third-place winner of each section will receive an official mention and promotional support through the FilmAmo ecosystem.
The recognition may include:
* official mention on the FilmAmo website;
* inclusion in the final festival recap;
* recap posts or stories on social media channels;
* possible editorial highlight;
* promotion of the film within the festival results communication.
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### Main Festival Award
## **FilmAmo Discovery Award – Best Independent Feature**
Among the first-place winners of the five competitive sections, the festival may assign its main award:
**FilmAmo Discovery Award – Best Independent Feature**
The award will be assigned to the film that, among the section winners, best represents the spirit of the festival: originality, narrative strength, cinematic identity, ability to connect with audiences and distribution potential.
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### Special Mentions
The festival reserves the right to assign additional special mentions at the discretion of the jury, the artistic direction and/or the FilmAmo community.
Special mentions may include, by way of example:
* directing;
* screenplay;
* performance;
* cinematography;
* editing;
* original score;
* production originality;
* best first feature;
* best genre film;
* audience award;
* special community mention.
Any special mentions will be announced during the final stage of the festival.
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### Nature of the Awards
Awards assigned by FilmAmo Discovery Awards do not automatically include cash prizes, unless otherwise officially communicated by the organization.
The awards are promotional, editorial and distribution-oriented in nature, with the aim of supporting the visibility of selected films and their possible connection with audiences through FilmAmo.
Any specific conditions regarding distribution, promotion, campaign duration, territories, revenue share and film availability will be defined separately between FilmAmo and the respective rights holders.
## Rules
### 1. Eligibility
FilmAmo Discovery Awards is open to international independent feature films, narrative films, creative documentaries, hybrid works and genre films.
The festival welcomes horror, thriller, crime, science fiction, fantasy, independent drama, comedy, romance, dark comedy, narrative experimental works and films that do not easily fit into a single category.
Completed films are eligible, provided that the person or company submitting the work holds all necessary rights for participation in the festival and for any possible subsequent On Demand distribution on FilmAmo.
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### 2. Runtime
Only feature films with a minimum runtime of **60 minutes**, including opening and closing credits, are eligible.
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### 3. Production and Completion Year
The festival accepts films produced and completed in recent years, but is also open to independent works that are undistributed, under-distributed or have not yet received adequate visibility, provided that all rights are available and properly cleared.
The festival reserves the right to consider older films if they show particular artistic, production or distribution interest.
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### 4. Premiere Status
World, international, European or Italian premiere status is not required.
Films that have already been presented at other festivals are eligible, provided that they have not been widely distributed or made permanently and freely available on public platforms.
Premiere status, or the lack thereof, may be considered as part of the editorial evaluation, but it is not a mandatory requirement.
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### 5. Language and Subtitles
Films not in English must be submitted with English subtitles.
For selected films, the festival may request additional materials, including subtitles, press kits, trailers, posters, stills and technical information.
In the event of possible On Demand distribution on FilmAmo, Italian subtitles or other specific technical materials may be required, to be agreed with the rights holder.
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### 6. Submission
Submissions must be made through Festhome, according to the deadlines and fees indicated on the official festival page.
Submission does not guarantee selection.
Submission fees are non-refundable, except in the event of cancellation of the festival by the organization.
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### 7. Official Selection
The Official Selection will indicatively consist of **25 feature films**, divided into five competitive sections.
The festival reserves the right to modify the number of selected films depending on the quantity and quality of the works received.
The decision of the selection committee and the festival direction is final and not subject to appeal.
The festival reserves the right to assign each film to the section considered most appropriate, even when the work contains elements belonging to multiple genres.
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### 9. Online Screening
Selected films will be presented through a dedicated online window for the FilmAmo community and/or accredited users, according to technical and time-related procedures defined by the organization.
Access to the films will be regulated through registration systems, time limitations and terms of use aimed at protecting the works.
The organization undertakes not to make films available for download and to use viewing methods consistent with the online nature of the festival.
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### 10. Voting and Jury
Awards will be assigned through a system that may combine the vote of a jury, the vote of the FilmAmo community and/or the judgment of the artistic direction.
The final voting procedures will be communicated before the start of the online festival window.
The festival reserves the right to establish special mentions, audience awards or additional recognitions.
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### 11. Rights
By submitting the film, the participant declares that they hold all necessary rights to present the film at the festival, including rights related to images, music, archive materials, performers, trademarks, pre-existing works and any other element included in the film.
The participant releases FilmAmo Discovery Awards, FilmAmo and their respective partners from any liability arising from disputes, claims or legal actions related to the rights of the submitted work.
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### 12. Promotional Materials
By submitting the film and, in the event of selection, by accepting the official invitation, the participant authorizes the festival to use trailers, posters, stills, film excerpts, synopses, biographies, logos and other promotional materials for communication, promotion, catalogue, website, social media, press releases and editorial activities related to the festival.
Any video excerpts used for promotion will not exceed a reasonable duration and will be used exclusively for promotional purposes related to the festival and the film.
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### 13. Distribution Opportunity
The first-place winner of each section will receive a **FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity**, namely the possibility of entering an On Demand distribution path on the FilmAmo platform.
The FilmAmo Distribution Opportunity does not constitute automatic distribution and will be subject to:
* rights clearance;
* territorial availability;
* delivery of the required technical materials;
* final editorial and technical approval;
* signing of a distribution agreement between FilmAmo and the rights holder.
Economic terms, duration, territories, reporting procedures and any other details will be governed by a separate agreement.
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### 14. Promotion for Second and Third Place Winners
The second and third place winners of each section will receive a promotional package through the FilmAmo website and connected social media channels, which may include posts, stories, reviews, editorial highlights, mentions in the final festival recap and other communication activities defined by the organization.
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### 15. Final Event
The first edition of the festival will take place mainly online.
A final awards ceremony is planned in a cinema in Rome. The venue, programme and participation details will be announced at a later stage by the organization.
Any screening of the winning films or of a selection of works will be agreed with the respective rights holders.
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### 16. Acceptance of the Rules
Submission to the festival implies full acceptance of these rules and regulations.
The festival reserves the right to modify, update or supplement the rules for organizational, technical, legal or editorial reasons, communicating any changes through its official channels.
Offbeat Comedy & Romance
Feature Films >60' 180'<
No Fee
Submissions deadline
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Offbeat Comedy & Romance is the section dedicated to the most eccentric, unpredictable and human forms of comedy and independent romantic storytelling.
It welcomes independent comedies, dark comedies, dramedies, tragicomedies, romances, surreal comedies, unconventional love stories and hybrid works capable of combining lightness, melancholy, irony and emotional depth.
The section looks for films that can portray relationships, desires, failures, encounters and personal transformations through an original point of view. Off-format comedies, unconventional romantic films, bittersweet stories, tales of couples, friendship, loneliness or rebirth are welcome, as long as they are supported by a distinctive voice and a strong cinematic identity.
Rebel Stories
Feature Films >60' 180'<
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Oct 26
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Rebel Stories is the section dedicated to the freest, most personal and necessary independent stories.
It welcomes independent dramas, coming-of-age films, road movies, social cinema, political stories, tales of marginality, generational portraits and works centred on characters in conflict with their environment, with social rules or with themselves.
This section looks for films capable of portraying the contemporary world through lateral, urgent and unconventional perspectives. It is not a genre section in the strictest sense, but an open space for works that turn productive and narrative independence into their strength. Intimate, raw, emotional, social, political or deeply personal films are welcome.
Fantastic Worlds
Feature Films >60' 180'<
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Oct 26
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Fantastic Worlds is the section dedicated to imagination, alternative worlds and the speculative possibilities of independent cinema.
It welcomes science fiction, fantasy, dystopia, speculative fiction, supernatural adventure, futuristic stories, parallel universes and works that build realities different from our own in order to question the present.
The section looks for films capable of using the fantastic not only as escapism, but as a narrative and visionary tool. High-concept works, low-budget films with strong ideas, stories set in future or impossible worlds, intimate fantastic tales, political dystopias, psychological science fiction and films that reinvent the relationship between reality, technology, myth and identity are welcome.
Crime & Suspense
Feature Films >60' 180'<
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Oct 26
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Crime & Suspense is the section dedicated to mystery, tension and moral investigation.
It welcomes crime films, noir, mystery, thrillers, revenge movies, legal thrillers, urban thrillers and stories built around a crime, a secret, a guilt or a truth to be uncovered.
The section favours works capable of combining narrative strength, atmosphere and character complexity. Crime is not understood only as a spectacular event, but as a point of access to deeper social, psychological and moral worlds. Investigative films, revenge stories, auteur thrillers, contemporary noir and hybrid works that use suspense to explore individual or collective tensions are welcome.
Dark Visions
Feature Films >60' 180'<
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Oct 26
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Dark Visions is the section dedicated to the darkest, most unsettling and disturbing side of international independent cinema.
It welcomes horror, psychological thrillers, folk horror, supernatural films, body horror, disturbing cinema and hybrid works that explore fear, tension, ambiguity and the unconscious.
The section looks for films that do not use genre only as a spectacular mechanism, but as a tool to explore obsessions, trauma, inner conflicts, collective fears and the shadow zones of contemporary society. Both radical, disturbing films and more atmospheric, psychological and suspended works are welcome.
