Napoli Film Festival

Overview

The Napoli Film Festival is southern Italy's most important film festival. Founded in 2001 and held annually in October in Naples, the festival presents competitive international and Italian cinema in one of Europe's most historically and culturally extraordinary cities.

Naples's identity as the ancient capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with its extraordinary archaeological heritage, its position overlooking Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples, and its legendary street culture and cuisine, creates a festival environment of unrivaled historical depth. The city's complex social reality -- its poverty alongside its extraordinary artistic heritage -- resonates with the kind of humanistic social cinema that the festival has developed strength in programming.

Italian cinema has a particularly strong southern tradition, from the neorealist films shot in Naples and the surrounding region to the Neapolitan cultural world celebrated by contemporary filmmakers.

Key Sections

• International Competition -- films competing for jury prizes
• Italian Cinema -- new Italian features with attention to southern Italian filmmaking
• Documentary Competition -- nonfiction features
• Short Films -- Italian and international short programs
• Special Events -- outdoor screenings in Naples's historic spaces

What Filmmakers Should Know

Napoli Film Festival accepts open submissions. For Italian filmmakers, the festival provides a southern Italian platform distinct from the Rome and Turin events. For international filmmakers, Naples provides access to Italian audiences outside the northern cultural centers.

Major Awards

• Best Film -- jury prize
• Best Italian Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

Napoli Film Festival was founded in 2001 and has grown into southern Italy's most important annual film event.

See Also

For Italian cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.