Festival start: 01 October 2025
Festival end: 15 December 2025
Founded in 2015 thanks to the commitment of Mario Macaluso, who conceived, designed and created it, the Cefalù Film Festival was born as an opportunity to meet and dialogue with the art of cinema. Until 2019, the event was known as "Cefalù Film Festival". Since 2021, the festival has changed its name, becoming "Cefalù Film Festival".
Festival Venue: Hotel Sea Palace Cefalù. A prestigious location that has hosted numerous film casts, including those of Indian Jones 5, The White Lotus 2, I Leoni di Sicilia and It Happens Even in the Best Families. The Hotel Sea Palace is also home to the famous lido, known throughout the world, where The White Lotus 2 was filmed. A place that combines beauty, history and cinema, creating the ideal context for this international event.
ROLL OF HONOUR:
2015: TWO LEFT FEET directed by Isabella Salvetti
MY FATHER IS A FRIEND directed by Angelo Cucina.
2017: AMIRA directed by Luca Lepone
2018: VIOLENCE FLY AWAY directed by Elena Pistillo
2019: SIX HOME directed by Ebad Adippour (Iran)
2021: NEVER WITH YOU directed by Giulia Galati
2022: THE OUTSIDE directed by Giuliana Sala
2023: YOU HAVE 5 directed by Daniele Falleri
2024: TWIST directed by Daniele Catini
JOURNALIST AWARD FOR PEACE
2022: Raffaella Daino of Sky Tg 24
2023: Lidia Tilotta of Rai Sicilia
2024: Angela Caponnetto
1. The "Film and Book of Peace" Award is the most prestigious recognition of the Cefalù Film Festival, awarded to the best film in competition. The winning director of the "Film and Book of Peace" Award will be dedicated a special book that will retrace his life, his film career and his commitment to spreading the values of peace and solidarity. The book will explore not only his artistic successes, but also the personal and professional journey that led to the creation of works that promote understanding, tolerance and unity among people.
2. The "Città di Pollina" Award (500 euros) is awarded to a Sicilian actor or actress who stands out for his/her performance in a film participating in the Cefalù Film Festival 2025. This award aims to recognize the talent, passion and dedication that Sicilian artists bring to the big screen, as well as the important contribution they make to the promotion of cinema and film culture in our region.
3. The "Pippo Fatta" Award (500 euros) is awarded to a director, actor or actress who, with their talent and commitment, contributes significantly to giving voice and visibility to the issue of disability in the cinematographic panorama with a film that participates in the Cefalù Film Festival 2025.
4. The "Gianfilippo D'Anna" Award (500 euros) is awarded to the school that, with a student project that participates in the Cefalù Film Festival 2025, addresses social issues of great relevance and topicality, contributing significantly to raising awareness and increasing awareness in the new generations.
5. The "School and Cinema Award" will be awarded to three film projects created by Italian schools, with the aim of encouraging the participation of young people in the world of cinema and raising their awareness of social, cultural and artistic issues. Each year, the Cefalù Film Festival will select and award three separate projects, one for each grade of school, with particular attention to the quality of production, creativity and educational impact of the works.
6. The Best Academy Film Award will be given to the best film produced by students of film institutes and film academies. This award aims to celebrate the commitment, creativity and innovation of young directors who are training in the field of cinema, offering them a prestigious showcase to emerge and share their talent with a wider audience.
7. The Best Academy Documentary Award will be given to the best documentary produced by students of film institutes, film academies or professional training courses. This award aims to celebrate the commitment and passion of young directors who, during their academic career, manage to create significant works in the documentary genre.
8. The "Earth Day" Award will be given to the best documentary that addresses environmental issues, with the aim of raising public awareness and inspiring change towards greater ecological awareness and active commitment to safeguarding our planet. This award focuses on film projects that explore crucial environmental issues such as climate change, conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, sustainability and the fight against pollution.
9. The "Solidarity" Award will be given to the best film that addresses the issue of bullying, with the aim of raising public awareness of this serious social problem that affects thousands of young people and adults around the world. Bullying, in its various forms – physical, psychological and online – continues to have a devastating impact on victims, profoundly affecting their self-esteem, psychological well-being and, in many cases, their future.
10. The "Premio Donna" will be awarded to the best film that addresses the theme of women, highlighting their evolution, daily challenges and rights that are often denied or undervalued even today. This award intends to celebrate and recognize cinematographic works that explore the female figure in all its facets: from stories of empowerment and the fight for equality, to the representation of the difficulties and discrimination that women face in various social, cultural and economic contexts.
11. The "Premio Speranza" will be awarded to the best film that addresses religious themes, with a particular focus on stories that explore faith, spirituality and human values linked to religion. This award intends to celebrate works that deal with religion not only as a system of beliefs, but also as a source of reflection, growth and hope for the individual and for the community.
12. The "Premio Cefalù Film Festival" is a special recognition that will be awarded to buito for the best film made by a young director. This award celebrates innovation, creativity and emerging talent in the cinematographic panorama, highlighting the works of directors who are approaching the world of cinema with an original vision and a fresh narrative. The aim is to support and promote new talents, offering them a prestigious showcase and encouraging them to continue their creative path. The winning film will be chosen by the jury based on its originality, ability to communicate with the public and overall quality of the production, from conception to staging, in order to reward the best projects made by those who, with courage and passion, are starting their career in the world of cinema.
13.The "Award for the Best Documentary Film" will be awarded to the Italian documentary that stands out for its artistic quality, depth of content and emotional impact. This recognition celebrates works that tell significant stories, exploring social, cultural, historical or environmental themes with an original and engaging approach. The aim of the award is to enhance the work of Italian directors in the documentary field, rewarding the ability to narrate reality in an authentic, incisive way that stimulates deep reflection in the audience. The winning documentary will be chosen by the jury based on its ability to combine cinematographic technique, thematic research and ability to move viewers.
14. The Best Foreign Film Award is awarded to the best feature film produced outside of Italy, selected for its artistic, cultural and thematic excellence. This award celebrates international cinema and recognizes the value of cinematographic works that, despite coming from different contexts, manage to touch on universal themes and tell stories that speak to a global audience.
15. The "Peace Journalist Award" will be awarded to the journalist who, during 2025, has distinguished himself for his commitment and actions in favor of peace, justice and the promotion of human rights. This award celebrates the work of journalists who, with courage and determination, use their pen or their voice to raise public awareness on crucial issues such as armed conflicts, human rights violations and social injustices, actively contributing to building a more just and peaceful world.
16. The Mediterranean Environment Award will be awarded to security and defense forces that have distinguished themselves for their commitment to protecting the environment. The award celebrates the efforts of the armed forces and police forces that have distinguished themselves in activities in favor of ecological protection, the safeguarding of territories and natural resources. An award that underlines the importance of collaboration between institutions to protect the environment and guarantee a sustainable future for generations to come.
Art. 1: Registrations for the Cefalù Film Festival 2025 are open from December 8, 2024 to April 27, 2025.
Art. 2: The following can compete for the 2025 edition of the Cefalù Film Festival:
1. Italian films produced after December 31, 2023
2. Foreign films produced after March 31, 2023 and subtitled in Italian.
Art. 3: The Director competing for the Cefalù Film Festival 2025:
1. Can participate with only one film
2. Must register the Film on the platform https://festivals.festhome.com/
3. Must indicate the production date of the Film
4. Must enter his/her Biography
5. Must enter the Plot of the Film
6. Must enter his/her telephone number
7. Must enter a valid and active email address
8. Must choose the Awards for which he/she intends to compete.
Art. 4: The Director participating in the Cefalù Film Festival must indicate at the time of registration which of the Awards he intends to participate in.
Art. 5: The Director participating in the Cefalù Film Festival at the time of Registration must:
a. Confirm that he will not participate in other events, reviews or film festivals held in Cefalù during 2025.
b. If he is willing to collaborate with other directors participating in the 2025 edition of the Festival to create a collective project dedicated to Peace.
c. If he wishes to participate in the film exhibition that will be held on the MyMovie platform during the 2025 edition of the Festival?
d. If he is available to participate in the 'Behind the Scenes' section of the Festival, sending a documentary film that tells the behind the scenes of his production?
indicate if he intends to participate in the Film Exhibition that will be held online on MyMovie.
Art. 6: Those who participate in the Cefalù Film Festival 2025 undertake to:
1. Respect the official regulations of the Festival.
2. Regularly consult the official website: https://festivalcinemacefalu.it/
3. Frequently monitor the Festival registration email for updates and important communications.
4. Avoid asking for information already available on the official website of the Festival.
5. Do not request information via the Festival's social pages.
6. Send only the material requested by the Festival.
7. Respond promptly to email messages sent by the Festival, especially those containing the words: "Reply to this message within 10 days".
Art. 7: The Cefalù Film Festival:
1. Does not offer any contribution for travel and accommodation expenses.
2. Delivery of special Awards and Recognitions in person.
3. Does not send Awards and Trophies to the winners.
4. Sends by email Diplomas and Certificates, upon request of interested parties, to be made from 1 to 15 December 2025 by writing to the email info@festivalcinemacefalu.it
Art. 8: The selections and awards of the Cefalù Film Festival are made by the Festival Jury, made up of 793 Cinema experts who operate all over the world.
Art. 9: The Cefalù Film Festival awards the following Awards:
*. Best Director Award
*. Best Actress Award
*. Best Actor Award
*. Best Italian Film Award
*. Best Foreign Film Award
*. Best Animated Film Award
*. Best Screenplay Award
*. Best Soundtrack Award
Premio per il Miglior Docufilm
Short and Feature Films
No Fee
Submissions deadline
30 Apr 25
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Il "Premio per il Miglior Docufilm" verrà assegnato al documentario italiano che si distingue per la qualità artistica, la profondità del contenuto e l'impatto emotivo. Questo riconoscimento celebra le opere che raccontano storie significative, esplorando temi sociali, culturali, storici o ambientali con un approccio originale e coinvolgente. L'obiettivo del premio è valorizzare il lavoro dei registi italiani nel campo del documentario, premiando la capacità di narrare la realtà in modo autentico, incisivo e che stimoli riflessioni profonde nel pubblico. Il documentario vincitore sarà scelto dalla giuria in base alla sua capacità di combinare tecnica cinematografica, ricerca tematica e capacità di emozionare gli spettatori.
Premio Donna
Short and Feature Films
No Fee
Submissions deadline
30 Apr 25
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Il "Premio Donna" sarà assegnato al miglior film che affronta il tema della donna, mettendo in evidenza la sua evoluzione, le sfide quotidiane e i diritti che spesso ancora oggi sono negati o sottovalutati. Questo premio intende celebrare e riconoscere le opere cinematografiche che esplorano la figura femminile in tutte le sue sfaccettature: dalle storie di empowerment e lotta per l'uguaglianza, alla rappresentazione delle difficoltà e discriminazioni che le donne affrontano in vari contesti sociali, culturali ed economici.
