Cortacci (1)

Festival start: 11 December 2026      Festival end: 11 December 2026

“Cortacci” is a film contest aimed at discovering and promoting filmmakers who tell stories about reality through tales “beyond the real.” The competition is open to Italian and international short films in various genres: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, western… and anything that, by showcasing worlds “beyond everyday reality,” offers a fresh perspective on reality itself (which is exactly what great genre cinema does, at least in our opinion).

“Cortacci Vostri” Award for Best International Short

“Cortacci Nostri” Award for Best Italian Short

“Lubitsch” Award for Best Direction

“Toland” Award for Best Cinematography

“Bauchens”Award for Best Editing

“Swanson” Award for Best Actress

“Fairbanks” Award for Best Actor

“Diamond” Award for Best Screenwriting

“Herrmann” Award for Best Soundtrack

“Gibbons” Award for Best Scenography

The Jury reserves the right to award any additional Special Mentions.

The finalist shorts will be screened on December 11th 2026 at the “Alphaville” cinema in Campobasso. The awards ceremony will be held at the end of the event.

Participation in Cortacci implies full acceptance of the following rules:

1) Short films with a maximum length of 20 minutes are accepted, although the Contest Management reserves the right to admit works exceeding this limit if it deems them particularly worthy;

2) The works must be narrative – documentaries are excluded – and belong to the following genres: action, adventure, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, horror, music, noir, thriller and/or any other genre – or subgenre – that allows for the telling of stories “beyond everyday reality”;

3) Short films completed no earlier than December 31, 2024 are accepted;

4) Works not in Italian must include Italian or english subtitles;

5) Short films that have already been screened and/or awarded at other festivals may be submitted;

6) Upon registration, the participant declares that they are the legitimate owner of the rights to the work and have all necessary releases (music, images, actors), releasing the Contest Management from any liability for any infringement of copyright or third-party rights.

7) The Management reserves the right to use images and videos up to 30 seconds long for promotional materials for the current and future editions of the Contest;

8) Registration and payment of the fee can be done through the Festhome platform, or by sending the link to download the short film via email to sciusciacasadelcinema@gmail.com and paying the €10 fee via bank transfer to the association's current account (IBAN: IT 63 L 07601 03800 001066672179);

9) Personal data submitted will be processed only for purposes related to participation in the Contest, in compliance with current privacy regulations;

10) There will be no contribution towards travel and accommodation expenses;

11) Upon registration, participants agree to allow the short film to be screened without any associated screening fee;

12) The submitted short films will be evaluated by a commission composed of members of Sciuscià, who will choose the selected works and the finalists;

13) The finalist short films will be screened in the theater and judged by a jury of experts, who will award the prizes;

14) The Jury's decision is final;

15) The Contest Management reserves the right to modify the event program if necessary, as well as to make decisions on unforeseen issues.