TROPEA FILM FESTIVAL (4)

Festival start: 20 September 2026      Festival end: 26 September 2026

The festival that didn’t exist... now it does!

This is the slogan that accompanied the first two editions of the Tropea Film Festival.

The guests who have already attended the TFF include:

Pupi Avati, Matteo Garrone, Matt Dillon, Madalina Ghenea, Marcello Fonte, Anselma Dell’Olio, Ascanio Celestini, Totò Cascio, Luca Lucini, Greta Ferro, Denise Tantucci, Ron Moss, and many others...

TFF is a unique international film competition featuring public screening events in the beautiful village of Tropea, located on the Calabrian Tyrrhenian coast.

It is one of the few festivals to present short films in a cinema setting!

TFF is an awards program for both short and feature films, dedicated to supporting filmmakers from around the world by recognizing excellence in cinema.

We believe that film festivals remain the perfect environment for the cultural and communal celebration of cinema, which is why our mission is to support the film industry by showcasing the best films from around the world and creating opportunities for networking between filmmakers and producers/distributors.

Best Feature Film

Best Short Film

Best Director

Best Lead Actor

Best Lead Actress

The Tropea Film Festival aims to disseminate cinematographic culture while promoting the discovery of Tropea, located on the Calabrian Tyrrhenian Coast (Italy), known as the Coast of the Gods: a landscape of exceptional cultural and scenic value. In 2021, Tropea was awarded the top spot as the Italian "Borgo dei Borghi" (Village of Villages)!
We accept Short Films and Feature Films.

The winning films will be screened to the public during the festival days.

All winners will receive an official laurel and a print-ready certificate.

By submitting your film, you declare that you know and accept that we may promote certain films by uploading trailers and/or teasers, posters, and production photos, thereby granting us free use for promotional purposes. However, the films will never be made available online.

Submission fees cover administrative costs and are therefore non-refundable.

Multiple entries are allowed for each director, and each submission can be entered into multiple categories.

We do not accept:

low-quality or amateur films, and those lacking subtitles for non-Italian films;

films involving politics or promoting a political agenda;

films that incite violence and promote pornography;

films with extremist or propaganda content, or about religious or political organizations.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

ORGANIZERS

The Tropea Film Festival is promoted by the Visionaria APS Cultural Association. The initiative receives financial support from the City of Tropea (VV) and the Calabria Film Commission Foundation, along with contributions from private sponsors.

OBJECTIVES

The Tropea Film Festival serves as a space for dialogue and exchange dedicated to new forms of international cinema, with a special focus on emerging cinema, young authors, and independent productions. Competitive sections prioritize works distinguished by formal originality and stylistic refinement.

DATE AND DURATION

The third edition of the Tropea Film Festival will take place from Sunday, September 20 to Saturday, September 26, 2026, spanning seven consecutive days.

FESTIVAL SECTIONS

The Festival features two competitive sections:

• National Short Film Competition

• Radici Award: A section dedicated to Calabrian cinema, where stories rooted in the territory are expressed without stylistic or formal constraints.

A special section organized by the Festival Management is also scheduled:

• Retrospective: this year it will be dedicated to the figure of Marilyn Monroe.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

a) The selection of works is exclusively entrusted to the Festival Management.

b) Fiction feature films completed after September 14, 2025, with a minimum running time of 52 minutes (including credits), are eligible, with no restrictions on genre or style unless otherwise decided by the Management. Each author may submit only one film.

c) A Jury composed of at least five members will award the following honors:

• Best Film
• Best Director
• Best Lead Actress
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Lead Actor
• Best Supporting Actor

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

a) Selection falls within the exclusive competence of the Festival Management.

b) Italian and international short films completed after September 14, 2023, with a maximum running time of 30 minutes (including credits), are eligible, with no limitations on style or genre. Each author may submit only one work.

c) A Jury of at least three members will award the following prize:

• Best Short Film

OUT OF COMPETITION

a) The selection of films is curated by the Festival Management.

b) Feature films and documentaries completed after September 1, 2023, may be presented.

c) A Jury of at least three members will award:

• Radici Award

FILM SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE

a) Submitting works requires the payment of an entry fee to cover secretarial expenses.

b) Submissions must be made through the Festhome, where payment of the fee will be requested. In the event of non-selection, this amount will not be refunded.

c) Participants must attach a streaming link for viewing, following the instructions provided in the submission form.

INVITED FILMS AND FURTHER DOCUMENTATION

a) For invited works, the Programming Office will request the necessary documentation, listing the materials to be provided.

FILM SCREENING

a) Only films selected as finalists will be screened.

b) The scheduling of screenings (days and times) is determined solely by the Management.

c) Foreign-language works will be presented in their original version with Italian subtitles. For non-English language films, it is recommended to also provide a version subtitled in English.

d) Film information sheets will be published on the official website www.tropeafilmfestival.it

PRIZES

Prizes are awarded to the directors, unless otherwise indicated by them or if the awards are expressly intended for actors or screenwriters.

Short Film Section:

• Best Short Film
• Best Director
• Best Lead Actor
• Best Lead Actress

Out of Competition Sections:

• Radici Award

GENERAL RULES

a) The Festival actively promotes gender equality and cultural diversity.

b) Shipping costs for film copies (round trip) are borne by the participants.

d) Regulations are drafted in Italian and English. In case of interpretative disputes, the Italian version shall prevail.

e) Submission to the Festival implies full acceptance of these regulations.

f) The Management reserves the right to decide on any matters not covered by these rules. The competent court for any dispute is the Court of Catanzaro.

Regulations updated as of March 19, 2026