Napoli Film Festival

Overview

The Napoli Film Festival is southern Italy's longest-running competitive film festival. The 26th edition (XXVI) took place in two parts: the main international program ran December 1 to 3, 2025, and the Schermo Napoli regional competition ran December 15 to 17, 2025. The festival is directed by Mario Violini and held at the TEDéR - Teatro del Rimedio, via Flavio Gioia 66, Naples (Metro Line 1, Municipio station, Depretis exit).

The 2025 edition opened with La Fossa delle Marianne (Marianengraben) by Eileen Byrne, a first feature from Luxembourg, Italy, and Austria starring Luna Wedler, who received the Premio Mastroianni at the Venice Film Festival 2025. The opening day also included L'Ultimo Cabaret, a documentary on the history of cabaret featuring Claudio Bisio, Luciana Littizzetto, Enzo Iacchetti, and Paolo Rossi, and C'e un posto nel mondo by Francesco Falaschi with Cristiana Dell'Anna and Paolo Sassanelli.

The festival's international section operates by invitation, with the programming committee selecting films that have premiered at other major festivals. The Schermo Napoli section, now in its 21st edition, is the competitive arm open to regional filmmakers - specifically films by Campania-based directors or films set in Campania. For filmmakers working in southern Italy, Schermo Napoli is one of the few festival platforms dedicated to regional cinema.

Submission Details

The Napoli Film Festival operates two distinct submission pathways.

International Section (Main Festival):

The international program does not run an open submission call. Films are selected by invitation through the artistic direction of Mario Violini and the programming committee. The committee evaluates films that have premiered at other international festivals. Filmmakers or sales agents who want their film considered can contact the festival directly.

Schermo Napoli (Regional Competition):

Schermo Napoli accepts submissions by email for films meeting regional eligibility criteria.

Submission materials required by email:

• Link to the film
• Pressbook (cast/credits, synopsis, director biography)
• Trailer
• Photographs and poster
• Contact email and representative details

The festival notes that due to technical time constraints, the 2025 selection was conducted by invitation rather than through a regular open call. Filmmakers should monitor the official festival website for future edition calls.

Premiere Status Requirements

The international section does not publish formal premiere status requirements, as films are selected by invitation. The Schermo Napoli section requires that films be produced after January 1, 2024, but does not specify a premiere requirement. Films that have had prior public screenings in Naples or elsewhere in Campania may still be eligible for Schermo Napoli, though filmmakers should confirm with the festival directly.

Program Sections

• International Preview Section - invited films screening as Italian or regional premieres, selected from major international festivals. The 2025 program included films from Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, and other European countries
• Schermo Napoli (21st edition) - competitive section for Campania-region filmmakers, including feature films, documentaries, and short films. Films are evaluated by a jury and screened at the TEDéR theater
• Special Events - screenings with attending directors and cast members, including Q&A sessions

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Napoli Film Festival is a smaller-scale operation compared to the major Italian festivals in Venice and Rome. The festival's venue - the TEDéR (Teatro del Rimedio) - is a theater space rather than a traditional cinema, which means screenings use video projection via PC rather than DCP. Filmmakers selected for Schermo Napoli should prepare digital screening files compatible with PC-based projection, not DCPs.

The festival's two-part structure (December 1-3 for the international section, December 15-17 for Schermo Napoli) is unusual. The split scheduling allows the festival to operate with limited venue availability while maintaining both its international and regional programming. Filmmakers attending the festival should plan for two potential trips to Naples if their film is in Schermo Napoli, as the regional section occurs two weeks after the main program.

For international filmmakers, the festival's by-invitation model means there is no open submission process to navigate. The programming committee selects from films that have already premiered at other festivals, which means the Napoli Film Festival functions as a secondary presentation platform rather than a discovery festival. International filmmakers whose films screen at Venice, Cannes, Berlin, or other A-list festivals should ensure their sales agent or producer includes Napoli in their Italian festival circuit outreach.

For Campania-based filmmakers, Schermo Napoli is the primary competitive opportunity. The regional focus means the competition pool is limited to films from or about Campania, which reduces the number of competing titles but also limits the festival's reach outside the region. The email-based submission process (no FilmFreeway, no online portal) reflects the festival's smaller operational scale. Filmmakers should send complete submission packages and follow up directly if they do not receive confirmation of receipt.

The festival's location in Naples - a city with deep cinematic history from neorealism through contemporary Italian cinema - provides a culturally rich backdrop. The TEDéR theater is located near the Municipio metro station in central Naples, accessible from the city's historic center. The festival's partnership with Commedia Futura, the theater company that operates the TEDéR, represents a cross-disciplinary collaboration between theater and cinema organizations.

Major Awards

Schermo Napoli Competition:

• Best Film - jury prize for the top feature film in the Campania regional competition
• Best Documentary - jury prize for documentaries
• Best Short Film - jury prize for short films

The international preview section does not have a formal competition or jury prizes. Films in this section screen as previews and special events.

Festival History

The Napoli Film Festival was founded in 2000 by Mario Violini, who continues to serve as artistic director. The festival has operated continuously for 26 editions, making it southern Italy's longest-running competitive film festival. The Schermo Napoli section was introduced in 2005 as a dedicated competitive platform for Campania-region filmmakers, and has run for 21 editions as of 2025.

The festival has historically programmed a mix of international preview screenings and regional Italian cinema, with particular attention to southern Italian filmmaking. Naples's cinematic heritage - from the neorealist films shot in the city and surrounding region to the Neapolitan cultural world celebrated by contemporary filmmakers - provides the festival with its programming identity.

The 2025 edition marked a venue change to the TEDéR - Teatro del Rimedio, through a partnership between Mario Violini and Commedia Futura, the theater company directed by Veronica Mazza that opened the TEDéR to cinema programming. Previous editions were held at various venues across Naples.

Past Winners

The Napoli Film Festival's top prize is the Vesuvio Award, a bronze sculpture created by artist Lello Esposito. The award is given in two competitive sections: Nuovo Cinema Italia (for Italian films) and SchermoNapoli Corti (for Campania-region short films). Winners also receive cash prizes for ARRI equipment rental from technical sponsor CIAK.rent.

Recent Vesuvio Award winners:

• 25th NFF (2024) - Kalavria directed by Cristina Mantis won the Vesuvio Award for Best Film in the Nuovo Cinema Italia competition. The jury praised its poetic approach to telling the story of Calabria through the myth of Ulysses. Special mention went to Desire by Mario Vezza for addressing youth integration issues. In SchermoNapoli Corti, L'attesa by Antonello Novellino and Antonio Quintanilla won best short film.
• 23rd NFF (2022) - Destinata coniugi Lo Giglio directed by Nicola Prosatore won the Vesuvio Award for SchermoNapoli Corti. The jury praised the acting of Lello Arena, Lino Musella, Isabella Salvato, and Antonia Truppo.
• 22nd NFF (2021) - Una coppia directed by Davide Petrosino won the Vesuvio Award for SchermoNapoli Corti. Special mentions went to Emma by Andrea Bocchetti and Il solito pranzo by Andrea Valentino.

The 2025 edition (26th NFF) shifted to a by-invitation model for the international section. The Schermo Napoli competition continued in its 21st edition with short films, documentaries, and features from Campania-region filmmakers.

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

Several films that screened at the Napoli Film Festival went on to significant downstream trajectories:

• *Mixed by Erry (2023, dir. Sydney Sibilia) - Premiered at the 24th NFF (2023). The film tells the true story of three Neapolitan brothers who built a pirate mixtape empire in the 1980s. It was produced by Groenlandia with Rai Cinema in collaboration with Netflix, and became available on Netflix globally. Director Sibilia is known for the Smetto quando voglio trilogy and L'incredibile storia dell'Isola delle Rose*.

• *Vieni a vivere a Napoli! (2017, dirs. Guido Lombardi, Francesco Prisco, Edoardo De Angelis) - Screened at the Napoli Film Festival. The three-episode comedy about multicultural Naples was produced by Run Film with Rai Cinema. Co-director Edoardo De Angelis later directed Indivisibili (2016) and Mixed by Erry* producer Matteo Rovere's Groenlandia became a major Italian production company.

• *Kalavria* (2024, dir. Cristina Mantis) - Won the Vesuvio Award at the 25th NFF (2024). The documentary about a contemporary Ulysses traveling through Calabria had its world premiere at the Bari International Film Festival (BIF&ST) and is now available on Amazon Prime Video. It was supported by the Calabria Film Commission.

• *La Fossa delle Marianne / Marianengraben* (2024, dir. Eileen Byrne) - Opening film of the 26th NFF (2025). The Luxembourg-Italian-Austrian road movie starring Luna Wedler (who received the Premio Mastroianni at Venice 2025) had its premiere at FilmFest Hamburg and won at the San Diego International Film Festival 2024. It was distributed in Italy by Trent Film.

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

The Napoli Film Festival operates two distinct pathways. The international section is by invitation only, with the programming committee selecting films that have premiered at other major festivals. There is no open submission process for this section. International filmmakers should have their sales agent or producer contact the festival directly.

Schermo Napoli is the only competitive section with open submissions. It accepts films by Campania-based directors or films set in Campania. If your film does not meet either of these criteria, it is not eligible for Schermo Napoli. The submission is by email to segreterianff@gmail.com, not through FilmFreeway or any online portal.

The festival uses video projection via PC at the TEDeR theater, not DCP. Filmmakers selected for Schermo Napoli should prepare digital screening files compatible with PC-based projection. Do not assume DCP playback is available.

The two-part structure (international section in early December, Schermo Napoli in mid-December) means filmmakers in the regional competition should plan for a separate trip from the main festival. The split scheduling allows the festival to operate with limited venue availability.

Filmmakers should send complete submission packages including a link to the film, pressbook, trailer, photographs, and poster. The festival's smaller operational scale means follow-up is important if you do not receive confirmation of receipt.

The 2025 edition was conducted by invitation rather than through a regular open call, due to technical time constraints. Filmmakers should monitor the official festival website for future edition calls, as the submission process may vary year to year.

Industry Reputation Notes

The Napoli Film Festival is a smaller-scale operation compared to the major Italian festivals. It is non-FIAPF accredited and operates without the institutional backing that Venice (Mostra) or Rome (Festa del Cinema) receive. However, it holds the distinction of being southern Italy's longest-running competitive film festival, with 26 editions as of 2025.

Compared to the Torino Film Festival, which is Italy's other major non-FIAPF competitive festival, Napoli has a more regional focus through its Schermo Napoli section. Torino has broader international reach and a larger industry presence. Napoli's strength is its dedication to Campania-region filmmaking, which no other Italian festival offers at this level.

The festival has hosted major international guests over its history, including Cate Blanchett, Sigourney Weaver, Ennio Morricone, Francesco Rosi, Giancarlo Giannini, Paolo Sorrentino, and Pupi Avati. This guest history reflects the festival's cultural ambitions despite its smaller operational scale.

The 2025 venue change to the TEDeR (Teatro del Rimedio) through a partnership with Commedia Futura represents a cross-disciplinary collaboration between theater and cinema. This is a deliberate programming choice that positions the festival within Naples's broader cultural ecosystem rather than competing directly with traditional cinema venues.

The festival's cash prizes (EUR 2,000 for Nuovo Cinema Italia, EUR 1,000 for SchermoNapoli Corti) are modest but come with practical value through the CIAK.rent partnership for ARRI equipment rental. This makes the awards particularly useful for Campania-based filmmakers planning their next production.

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See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding the European film market and international sales, see International Film Markets. Visit the official Napoli Film Festival website for current edition details.