Thesan International Short Film Festival (6)

Festival start: 06 November 2026      Festival end: 07 November 2026

Thesan - International Short Film Festival

6th Edition 2026

Venue: Lea Padovani Theater in Montalto di Castro (VT) - Italy

Festival Dates: November 6 - 7, 2026
Call for entries opens: May 08, 2026

Welcome to Thesan, an international festival dedicated to the celebration and promotion of short films. Located in the picturesque village of Montalto di Castro, in the province of Viterbo, at the Lea Padovani Municipal Theatre. While maintaining its historic roots and identity, from 2026 the festival moves its main stage to the prestigious Lea Padovani Theatre. Our festival represents a unique opportunity for short film authors and directors to showcase their creativity and talent to an enthusiastic audience and an expert jury.

A Growing Vision: Our Partnership
Starting from the 2026 edition, the Real Dreams Cultural Association (the creator and historic organizer of the festival) is proud to announce a new strategic collaboration. To further enhance the quality and reach of the event, Real Dreams is joined in the management and organization by the Assotuscania and Essential cultural associations. This synergy between local excellence and professional expertise ensures a high-level experience for all participating filmmakers.

A Prestigious New Stage
While maintaining its identity as a bridge between the local territory and the global film industry, the festival is moving its main screenings to the magnificent Lea Padovani Municipal Theatre in Montalto di Castro (VT). This state-of-the-art venue provides the perfect technological and welcoming environment that short films truly deserve.

Our Mission
At Thesan, our mission is to give visibility to short film authors by providing them with a prestigious and welcoming platform where they can express their art. We firmly believe in the importance of short films as a powerful and incisive means of visual storytelling, capable of conveying intense and meaningful stories in a compact and engaging format.

Why Short Films?
Short films are an art form that deserves to be valued and disseminated. Thanks to their brevity, short films can capture the audience's attention and convey deep messages in just a few minutes. Thesan is committed to promoting this form of cinema, recognizing its artistic and cultural value and supporting emerging new talents.

A Unique Festival
Located in the heart of Montalto di Castro, the festival offers not only high-quality screenings but also a unique cultural and tourist experience. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the beauty and history of our village, creating a perfect blend of cinema and culture.

FEDIC Circuit
The Thesan International Short Film Festival is not just a competition, but a cultural hub. Our festival is part of the FEDIC network, actively contributing to the promotion of arthouse and independent cinema across the country.

Juries and Evaluation Process
Our Festival features a multi-tiered evaluation system designed to ensure that each film receives proper recognition for its unique merits, balancing technical mastery, cultural impact, and critical analysis. For the 2026 Edition, awards will be presented by three distinct bodies:

Technical Jury
Composed of professionals from the film industry, including directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers. This jury focuses on the "craft" of filmmaking, evaluating technical excellence, innovation in execution, and the seamless integration of visual and auditory storytelling.
Focus: Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Design, and Screenplay.

Quality Jury
Composed of esteemed film critics and journalists. This jury looks beyond technique to analyze the narrative depth, social relevance, and artistic significance of the films in competition.
Focus: Artistic vision, thematic impact, and critical contribution to contemporary cinema.

Audience Jury (Audience Choice)
Since cinema belongs to the people, our "Audience Choice" award is decided directly by the audience members attending the screenings. This award celebrates the film that establishes the most powerful and authentic emotional connection with the audience.

Screenings and Awards Ceremony
The Thesan International Short Film Festival will take place from November 6 to 7, 2026, at the Lea Padovani Theater in Montalto di Castro (VT).
At the end of each day of screenings, there will be an awards ceremony for the films screened that day.
The Festival reserves the right to screen a selection of "Out of Competition" films recommended by industry partners to foster dialogue between independent cinema and established studios.

Join Us!
We invite all directors, producers, and cinema enthusiasts to participate in Thesan. Whether you are a veteran of the industry or an emerging new talent, our festival is the ideal place to share your artistic vision with the world. We look forward to welcoming you to Montalto di Castro to celebrate the best of short films together!

Official Sections:
Open Theme: "Free Visions"
Women's Perspectives: "Female Gaze"
Social Issues: "Social Impact"
Environmental Theme: "Eco Visions"
For Schools: "Youth Workshop"
Animation: Moving Canvas
Music Video Concept — "Music Visuals"

Venue: Lea Padovani Municipal Theatre – Montalto di Castro (VT) Italy
https://www.teatroleapadovani.it/

Technical Requirements
Maximum duration: 20 minutes
Italian subtitles are mandatory for all films, including those in Italian language, to ensure full accessibility.
Each filmmaker may submit only one short film
Free Participation
Free entry

The competition rules, the entry form and the consent form must be completed and emailed to: thesanfilmfestival@gmail.com
You can find them all by clicking here:
https://www.thesanfilmfestival.it/iscrizione-2026
Short films made since 2018 are eligible

FOLLOW THE FESTIVAL ON ITS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
https://www.facebook.com/thesanfilmfestival
https://www.tiktok.com/@thesanfilmfestival
https://www.instagram.com/thesanfilmfestival/

Best Short Film in the "Free Theme" section
Best Short Film in the "Women's section"
Best Short Film in the "Social" section
Best Short Film in the "Environment" section
Best Short Film, "Schools" section
Best Short Film "Animation" section
Best Short Film "Music Video Concept" section
Critics' Award (awarded by journalists)
FEDIC Award
"Mujeres nel Cinema" Award
Silver Jury Prize
Audience Choice Award
Special Mention

Juries and Evaluation Process

Our Festival features a multi-tiered evaluation system designed to ensure that each film receives proper recognition for its unique merits, balancing technical mastery, cultural impact, and critical analysis. For the 2026 Edition, awards will be presented by three distinct bodies:

1. Technical Jury
Composed of professionals from the film industry, including directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers. This jury focuses on the “craft” of filmmaking, evaluating technical excellence, innovation in execution, and the seamless integration of visual and auditory storytelling.
Focus: Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Design, and Screenplay.

2.Quality Jury
Composed of esteemed film critics and journalists. This jury looks beyond technique to analyze the narrative depth, social relevance, and artistic significance of the films in competition.
Focus: Artistic vision, thematic impact, and critical contribution to contemporary cinema.

3.Audience Jury (Audience Choice)
Since cinema belongs to the people, our “Audience Choice” award is decided directly by the audience members attending the screenings. This award celebrates the film that establishes the most powerful and authentic emotional connection with the audience.

Call for Entries
Thesan International Short Film Festival
Traveling
6th Edition 2026

The call for entries for the 6th edition of the "Thesan International Short Film Festival" is now open. Organized by the Real Dreams Cultural Association of Tuscania (VT), in collaboration this year with the Assotuscania and Essential associations, participation is free. A unique showcase dedicated to cinema, the festival is held under the artistic direction of Ludmilla Filippova and the organizational direction of Davide Boninsegna. This year marks a prestigious logistical milestone: the magnificent "Lea Padovani" Municipal Theater in Montalto di Castro (VT) will host the crucial phases of the event. The Thesan Film Festival aims to demonstrate that cinema continues to thrive and live, especially through the work of many independent authors.

Participation fee: Free
Submission deadline: September 20, 2026
Festival dates: November 6 - 7, 2026

Sections available for submission:

Free Theme Section

Social Issues Section

Environment Section

Women’s Perspective Section

Schools Section

Animation Section

Music Video Section

Voting Procedures:
All submitted short films will be reviewed by the Festival Management, which will select the finalists for each category. These will be screened and voted upon by the juries; winners will be announced during the festival days on November 6 and 7, 2026.

Juries:

Technical Jury: composed of professional directors and actors.

Special Jury: composed of journalists (for the Critics' Award).

Audience Jury: the audience present in the theater.

Submission Guidelines:
Submission is free. The call is open to works not exceeding 20 minutes in duration, including credits. Each author may submit only one work. If the short film is in a foreign language, Italian subtitles are mandatory; subtitles are also mandatory for Italian works to ensure full accessibility. The deadline for submission is September 20, 2026.

The duly completed submission form and the release waiver must be sent to the Festival Management at the following email: thesanfilmfestival@gmail.com

To submit the short film itself, you must use the Festhome platform at the following link:
https://festhome.com/festival/thesan-international-short-film-festival

The organization will notify the finalists of the selection committee's decisions via an official email. Those who do not receive any communication by the scheduled date of October 15, 2026, should consider themselves not selected.

Short films made since 2018 with a maximum length of 20 minutes are eligible. Works containing music subject to SIAE protection (or similar collective management) are not permitted; all music must be original.

ATTENTION:
The author/producer declares, under their own responsibility, to be the owner of all copyrights (video and music) for the submitted work and provides a free waiver for its screening within the Festival. If works are protected by management societies (SIAE or similar), the author must explicitly report this during the submission process, indemnifying the promoters of the Thesan Film Festival from any liability.

The judgment of the selection committee and the jury is final. Participation in the festival implies full acceptance of these regulations. The Festival Management reserves the right to judge controversial cases and matters not expressly provided for. By participating, the author authorizes the Real Dreams Cultural Association, in accordance with Law 196/2003, to use personal data for the purposes of the Festival and related events.

Awards and Special Mentions:

Best Short Film: Free Theme Section

Best Short Film: Social Issues Section

Best Short Film: Environment Section

Best Short Film: Women’s Perspective Section

Best Short Film: Animation Section

Best Short Film: Music Video Section

Best Short Film: Schools Section

Critics' Award (assigned by journalists)

FEDIC Award

Mujeres nel Cinema Award

Silver Jury Prize

Audience Choice Award

Special Mentions

The link to download the submission documentation is:
https://www.thesanfilmfestival.it/iscrizione-2026