Overview
The International Sport Film Festival (ISFF) is a sports cinema festival based in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy. The 5th edition runs November 23 to 28, 2026 at the Teatro Supercinema. The festival is open to all kinds of film, television, and web audiovisual productions concerning both professional and amateur sport, including documentary, fiction, animation, TV and digital series, educational films, and social media videos.
The festival accepts works completed between 2025 and 2026 in which sport plays a central role in the narrative or subject matter. All genres, formats, and styles are eligible. There is no limit to the number of works each participant may submit.
ISFF is part of a broader international sports film festival ecosystem. A affiliated event, the International Sport Film Festival Slovenia (ISFF Slovenia), runs June 17 to 19, 2026 in Rogaska Slatina. ISFF Slovenia is a FICTS (Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs) member festival, and its winner receives a direct nomination for the FICTS final festival in Milan in November 2026. Filmmakers targeting the FICTS circuit should consider both festivals.
The Italian ISFF in Castellammare di Stabia is the primary edition covered on this page. It has grown over four editions into a meaningful platform for sports cinema in southern Italy, with an annual preview event at Campitello Matese in Molise.
Submission Details
Submissions are handled through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 2026 edition:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Submission Platform | FilmFreeway |
| Festival Dates | November 23 to 28, 2026 |
| Location | Teatro Supercinema, Castellammare di Stabia, Italy |
| Eligibility Window | Works completed between 2025 and 2026 |
| Genres Accepted | Documentary, fiction, animation, TV/digital series, educational films, social media videos |
| Subject Requirement | Sport must play a central role in the narrative or subject matter |
| Submission Limit | No limit on number of works per participant |
| Screening Format | DCP for theatrical screenings (other formats by arrangement) |
Subtitle Requirements
Subtitles are mandatory for all selected films:
- Films in Italian must include English subtitles
- Films in English must include Italian subtitles
- Films in any other language must include Italian subtitles
Required Submission Materials
Each submission must include:
- Film summary with logline and synopsis (in English or Italian)
- High-resolution JPEG images authorized for promotional use
- Trailer (maximum length: 3 minutes) when available
- Director's biography and filmography including key credits
All submitted works are reviewed by the festival's selection committee. Selected projects are included in the official program and compete in the award categories. All submission deadlines, notification dates, and event dates are published on the official FilmFreeway page.
ISFF Slovenia Submission Details (FICTS Affiliated)
For filmmakers targeting the FICTS circuit, ISFF Slovenia offers a separate submission path:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Festival Dates | June 17 to 19, 2026 |
| Location | Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia |
| Submissions Open | October 30, 2025 |
| Final Submission Deadline | February 15, 2026 |
| Notification | March 15, 2026 |
| Feature Film Fee | EUR 20 |
| Short Film Fee | EUR 10 |
| Eligibility Window | Films premiered after January 1, 2024 |
| Screening Format | DCP 2K/4K (unencoded) or HD file (ProRes, H264) |
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1.85, 1:2.39, or 16:9 |
| Subtitle Requirement | Slovenian (DCP or .srt) and English (.srt) |
ISFF Slovenia programs 35 to 40 feature and documentary films focused on sports and Olympism. A media program editor selects 10 to 15 sports films for a special broadcast slot, and the winner receives a special media award plus direct nomination for the FICTS final festival in Milan in November 2026.
Programming Categories
The Italian ISFF programs work across the following categories:
- Sports Documentary - documentary films about sports, athletes, and sporting culture
- Sports Fiction - narrative films centered on athletic competition
- Short Films - short-form sports films across all genres
- Animation - animated films with sports themes
- TV and Digital Series - episodic and web-based sports content
- Educational and Instructional - films about sports technique, training, and education
- Social Media Videos - short-form digital content about sport
The festival is open to both professional and amateur sport subjects. Programming encourages meetings and collaboration between creatives and sports industry operators, creating conditions for the comparison and dissemination of messages of sportsmanship, friendship, fair play, and socio-cultural themes.
Festival History
The International Sport Film Festival in Castellammare di Stabia held its first edition in 2022. The festival has grown over four editions, with the 5th edition scheduled for November 23 to 28, 2026 at the Teatro Supercinema. An annual preview event is held at Campitello Matese in Molise.
The festival is part of the broader FICTS (Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs) ecosystem, which includes member festivals worldwide. FICTS is an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee that promotes sports cinema and television globally. The FICTS final festival is held annually in Milan.
ISFF Slovenia, the FICTS-affiliated Slovenian edition, has been running for five editions and is held in Rogaska Slatina. It programs approximately 35 to 40 films and serves as a qualifying festival for the FICTS Milan final.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The Italian ISFF in Castellammare di Stabia is a relatively young festival (first edition 2022) with a broad definition of sports cinema. The acceptance of social media videos, TV series, and educational films alongside traditional documentaries and fiction features makes it one of the most inclusive sports festivals in terms of format. Filmmakers with non-traditional sports content (web series, short social media pieces) have a platform here that most sports festivals do not offer.
The subtitle requirements are strict and specific. Italian films need English subtitles. English films need Italian subtitles. Films in any other language need Italian subtitles. Filmmakers should budget for subtitle preparation before submission, as non-compliant films will not be screened.
The DCP screening format requirement for theatrical screenings is standard for European festivals. Filmmakers whose films are not in DCP should contact the festival to discuss technical requirements and alternative screening options.
For filmmakers seeking FICTS circuit qualification, ISFF Slovenia is the more strategically valuable festival. Winning at ISFF Slovenia provides a direct nomination for the FICTS final in Milan, which is the highest level of sports cinema recognition in the FICTS ecosystem. The Slovenia submission fees are low (EUR 10 to 20) and the eligibility window is generous (films premiered after January 1, 2024).
Neither festival operates a traditional film market or industry marketplace. The industry value comes from connections to sports organizations, FICTS network access, and the media broadcast opportunities that ISFF Slovenia offers. Filmmakers seeking distribution deals should not expect a market presence. Filmmakers seeking sports industry connections and FICTS recognition will find value.
The Italian ISFF's location in Castellammare di Stabia (near Naples) places it in a region with strong sporting traditions and local audience interest. The festival has developed connections with local sports organizations and media, which gives selected films access to regional Italian audiences that larger festivals in Rome or Milan do not specifically cultivate.
Past Winners
The festival's top prize is the Golden Runner Award. The festival has run four editions (2022-2025) and has grown from 73 submissions in its first year to over 250 from 53 countries in 2025.
2025 Winners (4th Edition, November 24-29, 2025)
- Golden Runner Award: The Madmen Coach directed by Carlo Liberatore (Italy/Senegal) - documentary about the first Senegalese national football team for players with mental health issues
- Best Narrative Film: QUARSHIE directed by Omar Shama (Egypt)
- Best Documentary: Danger, do not look out directed by Daniel Cascales Granados (Spain)
- Best Director: Nicholas Marchetti for The Fencer (USA)
- Best Cinematography: Run Again directed by Alexis Berg (France)
- Best Performance: Els Dottermans in ALLEZ HOP! (Netherlands)
- Best Series: STREETBALL: The Untold Stories of Basketball Stars directed by Janine Sides (USA)
- Innovation Award: Invasion of Qatar directed by Greg Crompton (Canada)
- Breaking Barriers Award: KICKOFF directed by Roser Corella and Stefano Obino (Germany/Spain)
2024 Winners (3rd Edition)
- Golden Runner: BrokenBreath directed by Morgan Bertacca (Italy) - story of freediving world record holder Mike Maric
- Best Documentary: The Sirens of Ukraine directed by Louis Villers and Alexandra Guiral (France)
- Best Director: Stella Maris - Climbing the Waves directed by Daniel Moshel (Austria)
- Best Narrative Film: Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
- Best Cinematography: 8 Islands
2022 Winners (1st Edition)
- Golden Runner: L'Avversario directed by Federico Russotto (Italy)
- Best Film: A Tennis Friend directed by Brian Herrera Gladstone
- Best Documentary: Aiguille du Midi Operation: Electric Avenue by Georgi Kerezov and Stoil Dimitrov
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- The Sirens of Ukraine (2024 Best Documentary winner) was produced by Canal+ and released on MyCanal in France in July 2024. It has screened at multiple sport film festivals across Europe.
- KICKOFF (2025 Breaking Barriers Award winner) premiered at Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. It has screened at Hot Docs, Hof International Film Festival, and numerous other festivals. It is available on GuideDoc.
- Run Again (2025 Best Cinematography winner) received a Special Jury Mention at the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival. It also screened at Trento Film Festival and the AWE Film Festival.
- STREETBALL: The Untold Stories of Basketball Stars (2025 Best Series winner) premiered at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. It debuted at the NBA Summer League Film Festival in Las Vegas in July 2025.
- Invasion of Qatar (2025 Innovation Award winner) has screened at the New York Comedy Film Festival and This Human World festival in Vienna.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The festival has one of the broadest definitions of sports cinema among FICTS festivals. Social media videos, web series, and educational films are eligible alongside traditional documentaries and fiction features.
The Golden Runner Award tends to go to films that embody the festival's values of sportsmanship, fair play, and inclusion. Films about underdog stories, disability in sport, and social impact through sport perform well.
The Breaking Barriers Award specifically recognizes films about inclusion and equality in sport. If your film addresses gender, disability, or cultural barriers in sport, highlight this in your submission.
The Innovation Award goes to formally inventive sports films. The 2024 winner was Ephemere and the 2025 winner was a mockumentary (Invasion of Qatar). The jury values creative approaches to sports storytelling.
Italian subtitles are mandatory for non-Italian films. Budget for subtitle preparation before submission, as non-compliant films will not be screened.
Industry Reputation Notes
The ISFF in Castellammare di Stabia is a young festival (first edition 2022) that has grown rapidly. It went from 73 submissions in 2022 to over 250 from 53 countries in 2025. It is part of the FICTS ecosystem but is not a qualifying festival for the FICTS Milan final. ISFF Slovenia holds that distinction.
Compared to more established sports film festivals like the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival or BCN Sports Film, the ISFF has a broader format acceptance. Its inclusion of social media videos and web series makes it more accessible to digital-native filmmakers. However, its industry market presence is limited.
The festival benefits from its location in the Campania region, with support from the Regione Campania and Film Commission Regione Campania. This regional backing gives the festival institutional stability and access to local sports organizations. The annual preview at Campitello Matese extends the festival's reach beyond Castellammare di Stabia.
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See Also
Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For documentary filmmaking approaches, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the ISFF Italy FilmFreeway page or visit the official ISFF Italy website. For ISFF Slovenia, visit the official ISFF Slovenia website or submit through FilmFreeway.
