ABC School Film Festival
The student-led film festival at Cinema ABC in Bari
About ABC School Film Festival
A festival that puts students at the center
The ABC School Film Festival is a film education project promoted in Bari by the Centro di Cultura Cinematografica ABC, a historic institution linked to the city's Cinema ABC. Its premise is as simple as it is radical: flip the roles and entrust students not only with watching the films but also with the final judgment. Every year, dozens of schools from Bari and the BAT (Barletta-Andria-Trani) province are involved in a months-long journey that culminates in four days of screenings, debates, and awards ceremonies.
How it works
The festival is divided into two phases. The first is a preparatory program that guides classes through the discovery of great cinema authors via a selection of titles screened throughout the school year. The second is the festival itself, concentrated in a few days in May, during which students become the jury: after watching the competing films and documentaries, often in the presence of the authors, they vote for the best works and also award the most successful written and video reviews produced by the schools.
Film education and workshops
Alongside the screenings, the ABC School Film Festival offers creative workshops—from designing movie posters to animation activities for primary schools—and training sessions for teachers. It is an experience that weaves together culture, education, and citizenship, and which over the years has made Cinema ABC a benchmark for film literacy in the region.
Institutional support
The event is part of the National Cinema and Images for Schools Plan promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Merit, and is supported by the Puglia Region, the Regional School Office, and the collaboration of the DAMS department of the University of Bari and local cultural associations such as Canudo ETS and Momiji.
Bari, the Apulian capital of school cinema
Within the cultural landscape of the City of Bari and Puglia, the ABC School Film Festival occupies a unique position: it is not a showcase for the general public, but a permanent laboratory aimed at the new generations. This is precisely why it has become a staple of the Bari spring, capable of bringing thousands of young people closer to the language of cinema and a more conscious, critical view of images.
ABC School Film Festival — edition 2026
ABC School Film Festival 2026 — "Real Cinema"
The fourth edition of the ABC School Film Festival took place at Cinema ABC in Bari from May 4 to 7, 2026, with daily screenings starting in the afternoon. The chosen theme, "Real Cinema," focused on Italian auteur documentaries, with content direction entrusted to director Alessandro Piva and artistic direction by Francesca Rossini.
Three recent documentaries were in competition, viewed by students in the presence of or via video link with the authors: Cattivi Maestri by Roberto Orazi, School of Life by Giuseppe Marco Albano, and Waithood by Paola Piscitelli; Fratelli di Culla by Alessandro Piva was screened out of competition. The student jury awarded the prize for best documentary to Cattivi Maestri, which addresses the issue of abuse in youth sports. Awards were also given for best short film, AB IMO PECTORE by Gabriele Grossi, and a special mention to Teoria del colore by Luca Gismondo.
The edition involved schools from Bari, Bitonto, Modugno, Bisceglie, Castellana Grotte, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Mola di Bari, Andria, and Trani, with graphic design workshops on movie posters and animation activities for primary schools. The event, supported by the National Cinema for Schools Plan and the Puglia Region, confirmed the role of Cinema ABC as a center for film education in Puglia.
Programme ABC School Film Festival 2026
Documentaries in competition
- Mon, May 4 — Cattivi Maestri by Roberto Orazi
- Tue, May 5 — School of Life by Giuseppe Marco Albano
- Wed, May 6 — Waithood by Paola Piscitelli
- Thu, May 7 — Fratelli di Culla by Alessandro Piva (out of competition) and announcement of winners
Daily screenings starting around 3:30 PM at Cinema ABC. During the preparatory program of the school year, over ten titles from cinema history were also proposed, including The Elephant Man, The Big Lebowski, My Neighbor Totoro, and Ponyo.
Highlights ABC School Film Festival 2026
- Theme "Real Cinema": Italian auteur documentaries in competition
- Jury of about 50 students from Bari and the BAT province
- Best documentary: Cattivi Maestri by Roberto Orazi
- Meetings with authors and awards for the best reviews
- Content direction by Alessandro Piva
Prices ABC School Film Festival 2026
Practical information — ABC School Film Festival
How to get there
The festival takes place at Cinema ABC, located at Via Marcello Celentano 90 in Bari, in the Carrassi-Picone district. The theater is accessible via AMTAB urban bus lines and is a short distance from the Bari central station, served by regional and national trains. Those arriving by car can find parking in the surrounding streets.
Participation
The ABC School Film Festival is a project aimed primarily at schools in the Bari area and the BAT province, which join through the National Cinema for Schools Plan. For information on the schedule, open screenings, and registration procedures, please check the Cinema ABC website.
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Where does it take place — ABC School Film Festival
Cinema ABC
Via Marcello Celentano 90, 70126 Bari