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Lakes Noir International Film Festival. (1)

Il Festival dei Laghi

Deadlines

26 Dec 2025
Call for entries

01 Sep 2026
Final deadline

8
mths

14 Sep 2026
Notification date

23 Dec 2026
27 Sep 2026

Address

Giardini Estensi, 21010, Varese, Varese, Italy

Festival description

Thriller, Noir, and Crime

Short film festival 30'<

Festival requirements

Film festival

Fiction

Documentary

Animation

Fantastic

Terror

Experimental

Music Video

Other

Any Genre

Any Theme

Does NOT have submission fees

International Festival

Physical Location

Production date: Any

Production countries: Any

Shooting countries: Any

Director nationalities: Any

Debut Films

School projects

Short Films 30'<

AI Tools

Any language

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Italian

English

Festival description (Edition: 1)

Festival start: 23 December 2026 Festival end: 27 September 2026

Lakes Noir International Film Festival - The Lake District Festival

The Lakes Noir International Film Festival (LNIIF) is an international competitive film event entirely dedicated to Thriller, Noir, and Crime sub-genres (including Italian Giallo, Poliziottesco, and Spy Stories). The festival takes place in the elegant setting of Varese, held within the 18th-century Salone Estense and the Estensi Gardens (known as the "Versailles of Milan"), creating a unique atmosphere of contrast between the natural beauty of the lakes and the mystery of the stories on screen.COMITATO D'ECCELLENZA

Gionmaria Monti – Giornalista, autore e sceneggiatore (RAI)

Sergio Giacon – Illustratore, regista e artista visivo (RAI - Mediaset)

Dante Brancatisano – Direttore e Fondatore del Festival / Direttore della SG Academy

Prizes and qualifications

AWARDS

The official award of the festival is the "Golden Swan", which will be presented in the following categories:

Best Noir Feature Film: To the film that best reinterprets the genre with originality and technical excellence.

Best Short Film: To the short work capable of condensing tension and mystery.

Best Crime Documentary: To the best narrative of true events or archival investigations.

Special Critics' Mention: For the work that stands out for its linguistic experimentation.

Winners will receive the physical trophy and the official Digital Laurel to be included in the film's promotional materials.

Rules

Eligible Genres: The festival exclusively accepts works within the Noir, Thriller, Giallo, Crime, and Mystery genres.

Free Entry: No entry fee is required for the 2026 edition.

Production Year: Works completed after January 1st, 2023, are eligible.

Subtitles: Foreign language films must have Italian or English subtitles.

Formats: Online screening via Festhome's Screening Room is required for selection. High-definition files (ProRes or H264) will be requested for final screenings.

Rights: By submitting, the filmmaker declares they hold all legal rights to the film.

Feature Films

Feature Films >60' 180'<

No Fee

Submissions deadline
01 Sep 26

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0€

Submit

Feature Films

Text: This section is dedicated to international feature films in the Noir, Thriller, and Crime genres. We are looking for works with a strong visual and narrative identity, capable of immersing the audience in mystery.

Minimum length: 60 minutes.

Genre: Noir, Thriller, Mystery, Crime.

Awards: Nomination for the "Golden Swan" for Best Feature Film.EXCELLENCE COMMITTEE

Gionmaria Monti – Journalist, author, and screenwriter (RAI)

Sergio Giacon – Illustrator, director, and visual artist (RAI - Mediaset)

Dante Brancatisano – Festival Director and Founder / Director of SG Academy

Short Films

Short Films 30'<

No Fee

Submissions deadline
01 Sep 26

Save up
0€

Submit

"Section dedicated to Noir and Thriller short films. We are looking for short but intense stories, capable of creating tension and mystery in just a few minutes."EXCELLENCE COMMITTEE

Gionmaria Monti – Journalist, author, and screenwriter (RAI)

Sergio Giacon – Illustrator, director, and visual artist (RAI - Mediaset)

Dante Brancatisano – Festival Director and Founder / Director of SG Academy

Documentaries

Short and Feature Films >10' 120'<

No Fee

Submissions deadline
01 Sep 26

Save up
0€

Submit

"Section dedicated to documentaries and docu-fictions exploring true crime cases, historical investigations, or the world of crime. We seek real narratives capable of investigating the darkness of society through a journalistic or cinematic lens."EXCELLENCE COMMITTEE

Gionmaria Monti – Journalist, author, and screenwriter (RAI)

Sergio Giacon – Illustrator, director, and visual artist (RAI - Mediaset)

Dante Brancatisano – Festival Director and Founder / Director of SG Academy

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