Alice nella Città

A festival focused on the youth

Alice nella Città is the Roman film event dedicated to new generations: an international festival that, since 2003, has explored childhood, adolescence, and the transition to adulthood through debut works, independent cinema, and emerging perspectives. It takes place in the City of Rome, capital of the Lazio region, with its heart in the Flaminio district at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, with screenings that in recent years have also extended to the Auditorium della Conciliazione and historic cinemas across the city.

From a youth section to full autonomy

The festival's history is closely tied to the Rome Film Fest: born as an independent event, Alice nella Città served as its official youth section from 2006 to 2011, before regaining its autonomy in 2012, while continuing to run concurrently. Today, it is organized by the Associazione Culturale Playtown Roma and directed by Fabia Bettini and Gianluca Giannelli. This dual nature—an independent festival embedded within the great Roman cinema week—allows it to host international premieres and high-profile guests without compromising a program truly designed for younger audiences.

Program sections

• Young Adult Competition: international feature films exploring adolescence and young adulthood, with a focus on debut works.
• Out of Competition: premieres, special events, and crowd-pleasing titles open to the general public.
• Panorama Italia: Italian fiction and documentaries competing for the Audience Award.
• Short Film Competition: international, Italian, and Academy sections, with dozens of titles selected each year.
• Retrospectives and restorations, tributes to contemporary authors, and rediscoveries of classics.
• Masterclasses and meetings with directors, actors, and film industry professionals.

Youth juries and schools

One of the most recognizable features of Alice nella Città is the role entrusted to youth juries, selected nationwide through written reviews and interviews: they are responsible for awarding some of the main prizes. The festival also works extensively with schools in Rome and across Italy, offering morning screenings, film literacy programs, and educational activities: cinema becomes a tool for interpreting the present rather than mere entertainment.

Casa Alice and the city

During the festival, Casa Alice is set up as the event's headquarters and a meeting place for authors, jurors, students, and the public. In recent years, the Fuori Sala format has been added, bringing meetings, book presentations, and screenings outside traditional venues, into the historic center of Rome and various neighborhoods, in collaboration with Roma Capitale.

Why attend

Visitors to Rome in October will find Alice nella Città to be a more agile and less formal festival compared to larger events, yet one with a high-quality international selection and a rare focus on the under-25 audience. It is an excellent opportunity to preview films that will hit Italian theaters months later, attend free or low-cost masterclasses, and experience the Auditorium during one of its most vibrant weeks. Its location in Flaminio also allows visitors to combine the festival experience with a visit to the MAXXI museum and the Auditorium itself, in an area well-served by public transport.