AS Film Festival (Asperger Film Festival)

A one-of-a-kind festival in the heart of Rome

The AS Film Festival—also known as the Asperger Film Festival or simply AsFF—is one of the most original events in the cinematic landscape of the Municipality of Rome and the entire Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It is the first international film and visual arts festival with a neurodivergent staff: film selection, event hosting, communication, and organization are all handled by a mixed group of neurodivergent and neurotypical people working together on a level playing field.

The event takes place at the Casa del Cinema, the historic venue at Largo Marcello Mastroianni 1, located within the Villa Borghese park: a green setting just a short walk from Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps, easily accessible and fully barrier-free.

The origins: the Not Equal project

The festival began as part of a broader initiative launched in 2008 by the Not Equal Cultural Association, based on the idea that cinema can be a tool for social inclusion rather than just an artistic language. Since 2013, that initiative has evolved into a full-fledged festival, growing edition after edition to receive hundreds of short films from all over the world each year. The artistic direction is led by Giuseppe Cacace.

Program sections

The festival structure revolves around the short film format, with distinct competitions and a non-competitive showcase:

• Punti di Vista / Points of View — the main competition, open to short films of any genre with a maximum duration of 20 minutes, featuring awards for the best Italian and international short;
• Animation Now! — a competition dedicated to short animation, with entries arriving annually from Europe, Latin America, and Asia;
• Ragionevolmente Differenti / Reasonably Different — a non-competitive section reserved for films made by autistic authors and works addressing themes of neurodiversity and cognitive differences;
• Junior Best Short — an award designed for works by the younger generation;
• 42HRS — the parallel contest where selected crews have exactly 42 hours to write, shoot, and edit an original short film, which is then screened in the theater alongside the other finalists.

An atmosphere unlike other festivals

Anyone entering the theater immediately notices that the AsFF does not resemble other Roman film events. Presentations are led by the staff, the pace is relaxed, and the environment is designed to be welcoming even for those with different sensory sensitivities. The juries bring together professionals from the worlds of film, illustration, and criticism, and the awards ceremony concludes the weekend in a spirit of celebration rather than competition.

Why it is worth attending

For the audience, the AS Film Festival is an opportunity to see a two-day international selection of short films that rarely reach Italian theaters: fiction, animation, and documentary works from countries such as Brazil, the UK, Hong Kong, Slovakia, Portugal, Belgium, and Spain. For the city, it is a cultural project that demonstrates how an event can be both artistically rigorous and radically inclusive. Admission is traditionally free until capacity is reached, making the event one of Rome's most accessible autumn highlights.

When it takes place

The event is scheduled every year for mid-November, over a weekend, with the 42HRS contest kicking off the preceding Friday. Screenings are concentrated on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, with the awards ceremony closing the program.