Giffoni Film Festival
One of the world's most important film festivals for children and youth, held annually in July in the small town of Giffoni Valle Piana in Campania, presenting competitive international films judged entirely by young audience members.
Overview
The Giffoni Film Festival is one of the world's most important film festivals for children and youth. Founded in 1971 and held annually in July in Giffoni Valle Piana -- a small town near Salerno in Campania, southern Italy -- the festival presents competitive international films judged entirely by young audience members aged 3 to 26.
Giffoni's founding premise was radical in 1971 and remains distinctive today: that children and young people are capable of serious, engaged film criticism, and that the most honest judges of films made for young audiences are the young people themselves. Every jury at Giffoni is composed entirely of young people organized into age groups, with over 4,000 young jurors from around the world participating annually.
The festival has received endorsements from Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and numerous major filmmakers who recognize its unique contribution to building cinema literacy among young audiences worldwide.
Key Sections
- Elements+Fiction -- competition for ages 6-12
- Generator+1 -- competition for ages 13-16
- Generator+18 -- competition for ages 17-19
- Generator+26 -- competition for ages 20-26
- Experience -- special screenings and events for all ages
What Filmmakers Should Know
Giffoni accepts open submissions. A Giffoni prize carries the endorsement of thousands of young international jurors, creating a form of recognition that is uniquely authentic as a measure of genuine youth audience engagement. For filmmakers creating films for young audiences, Giffoni provides unparalleled access to its target demographic as critics.
Major Awards
- Gryphon Award -- awarded by each age-group jury
- Special Jury Prize
- Audience Award
Festival History
Giffoni was founded in 1971 by Claudio Gubitosi and has grown from a small community event to an internationally recognized youth film institution endorsed by UNICEF.
See Also
For youth cinema, see Chicago International Children's Film Festival. For Alice nella Citta, see Alice nella Citta.
