50 Days of International Cinema in Florence

The great autumn film festival in Florence

The 50 Days of International Cinema in Florence is the annual autumn event that turns the Tuscan capital into Italy's hub for film festivals. Promoted by the Cinema Department of the Fondazione Sistema Toscana with the support of the Tuscany Region and the City of Florence, the event brings together nine international festivals under one banner, running non-stop for over two months from early October to mid-December at the Cinema La Compagnia on Via Cavour.

Nine festivals, nine perspectives on the world

The strength of the 50 Days lies in its diversity: every week, a different festival brings distant cinematographies to Florence that are often rarely distributed in Italy. The program ranges from Middle Eastern premieres to Chinese and Indian productions, great French cinema, auteur documentaries, and films dedicated to contemporary art and LGBTQIA+ stories. The festivals featured in the program are:

• Middle East Now — cinema and cultures of the contemporary Middle East
• Fan Hua Chinese Film Festival — the best of Chinese film production
• Festival di Cinema e Donne — works by international female directors and new authors
• France Odeon — the best of French cinema in premiere
• Festival dei Popoli — the most important Italian festival dedicated to documentary film
• Lo Schermo dell'Arte — cinema and contemporary art
• Florence Queer Festival — LGBTQIA+ cinema and themes
• River to River Florence Indian Film Festival — Indian cinematography
• Premio N.I.C.E. Città di Firenze — promoting Italian cinema worldwide

A home for festivals in the city center

The heart of the event is Cinema La Compagnia, Tuscany's House of Cinema and Festivals, located on Via Cavour just a short walk from the Duomo. A historic theater restored and managed by the Tuscany Region, La Compagnia also hosts numerous meetings, talks, exhibitions, and social gatherings that accompany the screenings, making the event an experience that goes beyond simple cinema.

A Florentine tradition

Born in 2007, the 50 Days of Cinema has grown to become a benchmark for Florentine audiences and auteur cinema enthusiasts across Tuscany. The premieres, the presence of directors and actors, and the opportunity to discover films rarely found in traditional theaters make it one of the most anticipated cultural events of the autumn in Florence. Thanks to dedicated season tickets, including free passes reserved for those under 25, the festival aims to engage an increasingly broad and young audience.