Altavilla Film Fest - The Christian Triumph of San Pellegrino
The international festival of popular and independent cinema in Irpinia
About Altavilla Film Fest
A new film festival in the heart of Irpinia
The Altavilla Film Fest - The Christian Triumph of San Pellegrino was born in 2026 in Altavilla Irpina, a village in the province of Avellino, in Campania. It is an international film event promoted and organized by the Municipality of Altavilla Irpina—with Mayor Mario Vanni and the municipal administration—together with the production company Follower One S.r.l., led by Franco Fiore. The artistic direction is entrusted to director Modestino Di Nenna.
The underlying idea is simple yet ambitious: to bring a festival to a town in the Campanian hinterland that gives space to popular and independent cinema, the kind that rarely finds theaters and showcases, while simultaneously making Altavilla Irpina a small hub for production and cultural exchange. The festival was presented to the press on May 27, 2026, at the Circolo della Stampa in Avellino.
The name: Elvira Notari and the town's patron saint
The title of the event is no coincidence. Elvira Notari, considered the first Italian female director and a key figure in Neapolitan silent cinema, directed The Christian Triumph, a film dedicated to San Pellegrino, the patron saint of Altavilla Irpina. The film is tied to the memory of the Altavilla community that emigrated to New York, who continued to celebrate their saint overseas in the early 20th century.
Naming the festival after that work means weaving a double thread: on one hand, the history of Italian cinema and one of its long-forgotten protagonists, and on the other, the religious and identity-based tradition of the town. It is a way of saying that cinema, even here, has ancient roots.
Sections and awards
The first edition welcomes works in and out of competition across four major categories: feature films, short films, documentaries, and music videos. The awards announced by the organizers are:
- Best Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Music Video
- Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress
- A special award for the best foreign work, established due to the wide international participation
- The San Pellegrino Awards, assigned by the audience
The jury is chaired by Alfonso Perugini, actor, director, and scholar of film history.
An international vocation from the start
The call for entries, opened on June 4, 2026, with free participation, received a number of submissions far exceeding expectations, with works arriving from Spain, India, Iran, Finland, the United States, Chile, China, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Venezuela. For a first-edition event in a town of just a few thousand inhabitants, this is a result that surprised the organizers themselves and gives the festival an authentically international scope.
Schools, accessibility, and community
Alongside the competition, the festival has built a framework of side activities. Irpinia's schools are involved with event-screenings on the mornings of October 15 and 16, designed to introduce new generations to cinematic language and audiovisual culture.
Among the most significant innovations is the screening of a short film with audio description for the visually impaired: a concrete sign of attention to inclusion and accessibility, still rare in small and medium-sized festivals. The program also includes meetings with authors and cultural events spread across the four days.
Altavilla Irpina and the territory
Altavilla Irpina is located a few kilometers from Avellino, in a hilly area of the Campanian hinterland where village life still revolves around the main square, patronal feasts, and devotion to San Pellegrino. Hosting a film festival in October, outside the summer festival season, means extending the village's cultural calendar and attempting to link cinema to cultural tourism in Irpinia.
For those visiting the area, the event is also an opportunity to discover a less-traveled part of Campania: a territory of vineyards, woods, and small historic centers, a short distance from the provincial capital and easily reachable from Naples and Benevento.
Altavilla Film Fest — edition 2026
A debut with confirmed dates
The inaugural edition of the Altavilla Film Fest is scheduled from October 15 to 18, 2026 in Altavilla Irpina, in the province of Avellino. The event was presented on May 27, 2026, at the Circolo della Stampa in Avellino by the Municipality, which promotes it together with Follower One S.r.l., under the artistic direction of director Modestino Di Nenna.
Competition and awards
Works compete in the categories of best film, best short film, best documentary, and best music video, in addition to awards for direction and lead actors, the San Pellegrino Awards assigned by the audience, and a special award for the best foreign work. The jury is chaired by Alfonso Perugini.
A call for entries that exceeded expectations
Opened on June 4, 2026, and free of charge, the call for entries saw a boom in international submissions: works arrived from Spain, India, Iran, Finland, the United States, Chile, China, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Venezuela. This led to the decision to establish an award dedicated to the best foreign work.
Schools and accessibility
The mornings of October 15 and 16 are reserved for Irpinia's schools, with event-screenings designed to introduce students to the language of cinema. Also on the program is a short film with audio description for the visually impaired, a choice that highlights the festival's focus on inclusion.
Programme Altavilla Film Fest 2026
Four days, from October 15 to 18, 2026
The detailed schedule of screenings has not yet been published: the selection of works closes after the deadline of the call for entries, and the complete program will be released by the organizers in the weeks leading up to the festival. Here is the structure already announced.
- Mornings of October 15 and 16: event-screenings reserved for Irpinia's schools, with educational paths on cinematic language and audiovisual culture.
- Over the four days: screenings of feature films, short films, documentaries, and music videos, in and out of competition, accompanied by meetings with authors and side events for cultural promotion.
- Special screening: a short film with audio description for visually impaired audiences.
- Closing evening: presentation of awards - best film, best short film, best documentary, best music video, best director, best actor and actress, special award for the best foreign work, and San Pellegrino Awards assigned by the audience.
The jury is chaired by Alfonso Perugini, actor, director, and scholar of film history; the artistic direction is by Modestino Di Nenna.
Highlights Altavilla Film Fest 2026
- Absolute first edition of an international film festival in an Irpinian village.
- Homage to Elvira Notari, the first Italian female director, and her film The Christian Triumph dedicated to San Pellegrino, patron saint of Altavilla Irpina.
- Submissions from over fifteen countries, from Spain to India, from Iran to Brazil: hence the special award for the best foreign work.
- Cinema and school: two mornings dedicated to Irpinian students.
- Accessibility: a short film offered with audio description for the visually impaired.
- San Pellegrino Awards, the recognitions chosen directly by the audience.
Prices Altavilla Film Fest 2026
Practical information — Altavilla Film Fest
Where it takes place
The festival is held in Altavilla Irpina (ZIP code 83011), in the province of Avellino, Campania. The exact locations for the screenings have not been announced at the time of the presentation: it is advisable to check the Municipality's channels closer to the event.
How to get there
- By car: Altavilla Irpina is a few kilometers from Avellino; those arriving from outside the region can take the A16 Naples-Canosa motorway and continue towards the Irpinian hinterland.
- From Naples or Benevento: the town can be reached in just over an hour by car from both provincial capitals.
Admission and registration
Participation in the call for entries for authors is free. Public access methods for the screenings were not disclosed at the time of the announcement: it is recommended to consult the Municipality of Altavilla Irpina.
Contacts
Municipality of Altavilla Irpina, Piazza IV Novembre 1, 83011 Altavilla Irpina (AV) - tel. +39 0825 991020 - comune.altavillairpina.av.it
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