Levante: Dove L’Oriente Incontra L’Occidente (10)

Início do Festival: 01 Dezembro 2026      Fim do Festival: 13 Dezembro 2026

1. ORGANIZERS
The TARANTO FILM FESTIVAL is organized by the Cultural Association Levante International Film Festival, in collaboration with and with the support of public and private institutions as well as sponsors. The next edition will take place in the area of Taranto in December 2026; in-person activities will be supported by online services, according to the arrangements to be announced by the Management through public communication.

2. OBJECTIVES
The TARANTO FILM FESTIVAL serves as a meeting point and forum for international cinema, aimed at promoting and fostering the distribution of works by authors from all over the world. Special attention is dedicated to films addressing innovative subjects and themes, or showcasing formal and linguistic research, with a preference for works connected to the Mediterranean area and its culturally influenced regions.

3. SECTIONS AND SELECTION
The films in competition (divided into Feature Films, Short Films, and Documentaries) will be evaluated and selected by a dedicated Selection Committee. Works will be chosen both directly by the Festival Management and from candidates submitting through dedicated entry portals and the official TFF website.

To be eligible, films must have been produced between 2024 and 2026. A maximum of 30 selected titles will enter the 'Contemporary' Section.

An International Jury, composed of prominent figures from the film and cultural sectors, will award the following prizes:
* Best Film Award (for each of the 3 categories)
* Best Director
* Best Screenplay / Story
* Best Cinematography
* Best Performance

In addition, a Public Choice Award will be decided by audience votes cast both in person and online.

PRIZES

The winning film will receive a symbolic contribution for the Best Feature Film, for the Best Documentary, for the Best Short Film. The winners of these and other categories will receive the symbol trophy of the exhibition. The sums must be intended for the distribution/promotion of the winning works.

4. ADMISSION

a) Registration for the Festival is completely free of charge (no entry fee is required).

b) Submissions can be completed online via dedicated film festival portals or, alternatively, by emailing the completed entry form and the screener link of the submitted work to mostracinemataranto@gmail.com.

c) The entry form is downloadable from the official websites [www.mostracinemataranto.com](https://www.mostracinemataranto.com) and [www.levantefilmfest.com](https://www.levantefilmfest.com), as well as the Facebook pages of Mostra del Cinema di Taranto and Levante International Film Festival, or can be requested directly by emailing mostracinemataranto@gmail.com.

d) The entry form must be fully completed and include the screener link of the submitted work. For non-Italian language films, english or Italian subtitles must be provided.

Together with the film link (priority requirement), the application must include the following materials, under penalty of exclusion:

* Synopsis;
* Dialogue list (with timecodes) in english or Italian;
* Director's statement (including a short commentary on the film) and director's note;
* Director's bio-filmography;
* Complete Cast & Credits and actors' biographies;
* High-res photos of the director, cast, and film stills (black & white or color);
* Any additional documentation useful for the selection process.

All required documentation must be submitted no later than SEPTEMBER 30, 2026.

e) Submissions that do not comply with the specified procedures will not be accepted.

f) Selected films are required—under penalty of exclusion from the competition—to provide a high-resolution link to the film (maximum file size 10 GB), with Italian or english subtitles (if the original audio is not in english).

g) Screener copies of non-selected and competing films will not be returned and will become part of the Levante International Film Festival / Mostra del Cinema di Taranto Archive, available exclusively for public consultation for study and research purposes, strictly non-commercial.

5. SCREENING OF WORKS

a) The screening schedule and showtimes will be established exclusively and indisputably by the Festival Management. Screenings will be conducted using high-resolution files downloaded from the provided links and transferred to hard drives.

b) Credits and film details for all selected works will be published on [www.mostracinemataranto.com](https://www.mostracinemataranto.com) and the official Facebook pages of Mostra del Cinema di Taranto and Levante International Film Festival by OCTOBER 30, 2026.

7. GENERAL RULES

a) All shipping and submission costs are the sole responsibility of the submitter.

b) By entering the competition, each author assumes full responsibility for the content of their work, holding the Festival Management harmless from any civil or criminal liability toward third parties.

c) The Festival Management reserves the right to settle any matters not expressly provided for in these regulations and to grant exceptions in specific, justified cases.

d) The Jury's decisions are final and binding.

e) Selected works may be made available for limited public online viewing immediately following the live screenings, subject to explicit consent and release granted by the rights holders.

f) Submitting an entry to the MOSTRA DEL CINEMA DI TARANTO implies unconditional acceptance of these regulations, which must be signed by the legal representative of production or distribution and attached to the Application Form. The person submitting the work guarantees that they hold all necessary rights and clearances from third parties involved in the creation and distribution of the film.

g) In cases of force majeure (e.g., health emergencies, extreme weather conditions, environmental disasters, etc.), the Festival Management assumes no liability for postponing the event to another date in 2026 or to the following year, while maintaining the core principles outlined in these regulations.