Torino Film Festival

Overview

The Torino Film Festival (TFF) is a competitive international festival held annually in Turin. The 44th edition runs November 24 to December 2, 2026, for nine days, with the opening ceremony at Teatro Regio. The festival is directed by Giulio Base, now in his third edition. The 44th edition will be dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, with a retrospective program built around her work.

The 43rd edition (November 21 to 29, 2025) awarded Antonio Banderas, Spike Lee, Vanessa Redgrave, and Juliette Binoche with the Stella della Mole career award. Binoche attended to present her directorial debut. The festival's position in late November, after Venice and ahead of awards season, allows it to program films that major festivals overlooked.

TFF operates three competitive sections: International Feature Films, International Documentaries, and International Short Films. The festival also programs out-of-competition sections and Zibaldone, a section for sidebar and special screenings. The festival accepts submissions via FilmFreeway.

Submission Details

TFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. The call for entries for the 44th edition opened March 6, 2026, and closes September 6, 2026.

Submission fees (until July 31, 2026):

• Short films: EUR 15
• Documentaries: EUR 20
• Feature films: EUR 30

Submission fees (August 1 to September 6, 2026):

• Fees increase after July 31. Specific late rates are published on the FilmFreeway page.
• Fees are non-refundable if a film is not selected

Eligibility requirements:

International Feature Films Competition:

• Feature-length films and documentaries completed after September 1, 2025
• Italian premiere required (World and International premieres preferred)
• Films already screened in Italy in any format are excluded

International Documentaries Competition:

• Italian and international documentaries completed after September 1, 2025
• Minimum length: 52 minutes
• Films already screened in Italy are excluded

International Short Films Competition:

• Italian and international short films completed after September 1, 2025
• Maximum length: 30 minutes (including credits)
• No style or genre limitations
• International and/or European premiere required
• Maximum two films per author

Out-of-Competition and Zibaldone:

• Feature-length films and documentaries completed after September 1, 2025
• Films already screened in Italy are excluded

Submission process:

• Complete the online registration form via FilmFreeway
• Pay the submission fee during registration
• Send a streaming link following the procedures indicated on the entry form by September 6, 2026
• Selected films must deliver prints to Turin by November 6, 2026

Foreign films screen in their original version with Italian subtitles. Non-English-speaking films require English subtitles for selection review. Each film may be screened up to 4 times during the festival.

Key Sections

• International Feature Films Competition - feature-length films and documentaries competing for the Best Film prize (EUR 18,000)
• International Documentaries Competition - documentaries 52 minutes or longer competing for Best Documentary (EUR 10,000)
• International Short Films Competition - short films up to 30 minutes competing for Best Short (EUR 2,000)
• Out-of-Competition - feature films and documentaries screened outside competition
• Zibaldone - sidebar and special screening section
• Retrospectives - the 44th edition features a Marilyn Monroe retrospective
• Stella della Mole Award - career achievement award presented to a major international film figure

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Feature Filmmakers

The feature competition requires Italian premiere status, with a strong preference for World and International premieres. If your film has already screened at another Italian festival or in Italian theatrical release, it is ineligible. The EUR 18,000 Best Film prize is among the larger competitive prizes at Italian festivals. The jury also awards Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor, providing recognition across craft categories.

For Documentary Filmmakers

The documentary competition requires a minimum runtime of 52 minutes and Italian premiere status. The EUR 10,000 Best Documentary prize is a meaningful amount for a documentary filmmaker. The festival's November slot places it after the major autumn documentary festivals (IDFA, CPH:DOX), meaning films that premiered at those festivals can still submit to Turin if they have not screened in Italy.

For Short Filmmakers

The short film competition requires International or European premiere status and a maximum runtime of 30 minutes. The EUR 2,000 Best Short prize and the limitation of two films per author make this a selective but accessible competition. The short film jury awards Best Film and a Special Jury Award.

For Italian Filmmakers

TFF provides an important platform for Italian cinema in northern Italy, alongside Venice and Rome. The Italian premiere requirement means the festival is often the first Italian screening for international films. Italian filmmakers benefit from the festival's industry connections and media presence in Turin, and from the RAI Cinema Channel collateral award, which involves acquisition of web and free-to-air TV rights for Italy.

Stella della Mole Award

The Stella della Mole is TFF's career achievement award. Recent recipients include Antonio Banderas (2025), Spike Lee (2025), Vanessa Redgrave (2025), and Juliette Binoche (2025). The award brings major international figures to Turin for the festival, creating networking and masterclass opportunities for attending filmmakers.

Major Awards

International Feature Films Competition

• Best Film Award: EUR 18,000
• Special Jury Award: EUR 7,000
• Best Screenplay Award
• Best Actress Award
• Best Actor Award

International Documentaries Competition

• Best Film Award: EUR 10,000
• Special Jury Award

International Short Films Competition

• Best Film Award: EUR 2,000
• Special Jury Award

Collateral Awards

• RAI Cinema Channel Award: acquisition of web and free-to-air TV rights for Italy, assigned by a jury
• Stella della Mole: career achievement award

Festival History

The Torino Film Festival was founded in 1982. The festival emerged during a period when Turin's industrial identity was shifting: the city was the headquarters of Fiat, and its cultural institutions were expanding beyond manufacturing into cinema, contemporary art, and literature. The festival's programming philosophy from its early years embraced the intersection of art cinema and genre, programming horror, science fiction, and thriller films alongside formally radical work. This approach reflected the Italian cinema tradition's engagement with genre filmmaking, from the Spaghetti Western through giallo horror to the poliziesco crime film.

The festival has operated continuously for over four decades. The 43rd edition (2025) honored four major international figures with the Stella della Mole: Antonio Banderas, Spike Lee, Vanessa Redgrave, and Juliette Binoche. The 44th edition (2026) will be dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, with a retrospective program built around her filmography. The festival is currently directed by Giulio Base, who has held the position since the 42nd edition.

The opening ceremony for the 44th edition is confirmed at Teatro Regio, one of Turin's principal opera houses, maintaining the festival's connection to the city's cultural institutions.

See Also

For festival circuit planning and premiere strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the financial return of festival submissions, see the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For Italian cinema and European film markets, see International Film Markets. For the Venice Film Festival, see Venice Film Festival. For Alice nella Citta in Rome, another major Italian festival, see Alice nella Citta.