AVFX Festival
The Italian festival for visual effects and CGI animation, held at the Nuovo Cinema Aquila in Rome
About AVFX Festival
A festival dedicated to the invisible magic of cinema
Every spectacular image we see on screen hides months of work involving simulations, compositing, modeling, and rendering. AVFX Festival was created to bring this craft into the spotlight: it is Italy's leading event for the visual effects (VFX), CGI animation, and audiovisual technology industries. It takes place in Rome, the capital of the Lazio region, specifically at the Nuovo Cinema Aquila on Via L'Aquila 66/74, in the Tor Pignattara district, just a stone's throw from Pigneto.
Who organizes it
The festival is promoted by AVFX — Italian Visual Effects Association, the organization that brings together Italian professionals in the field. Over the years, the event has built a network of partners and guests including some of the most renowned names in the global industry: Weta FX, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Framestore, Pixar, Adobe, Netflix, and Blender. The Roman edition is part of the Roma Culture program and is supported by the Lazio Region, the David di Donatello Academy, and the Visual Effects Society.
How the day is structured
This is not just a conference, but an experiential ecosystem spread across several areas of the cinema:
- Main Stage (173 seats) — international keynotes, with live links from studios abroad;
- Two technical rooms (73 seats each) — in-depth panels and hands-on workshops;
- Tech Area — professional workstations and live virtual production demonstrations using Unreal Engine;
- Job Fair — direct meetings between production studios, schools, and candidates, a highly popular segment for those looking to enter the industry.
A space for young talent
A significant part of the festival is dedicated to education. The AVFX Student Award showcases dozens of works created by Italian schools and academies, while masterclasses, mentorship sessions, and informal meetups allow students to engage with industry leaders. The program is complemented by free workshops hosted at the Prometeo-Lab in the nearby Pigneto district.
A theme that changes every year
Each edition revolves around a central theme. The 2026 edition was dedicated to "Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," a timely reflection on how artistic creativity continues to make a difference in a production landscape increasingly shaped by generative tools. It is a theme that hits close to home for the Roman audiovisual industry, which is deeply rooted in the city and currently undergoing a major technological transformation.
Why it's worth attending
The AVFX Festival audience is diverse: post-production professionals, educators, students, and cinema enthusiasts who want to understand how the images that move them are created. Free admission, with mandatory registration due to limited seating, makes the event highly accessible. The Nuovo Cinema Aquila, a historic venue revitalized as a cultural hub for the Municipio V, adds the charm of an authentic and lively Roman neighborhood, filled with local bars and street art.
AVFX Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 Edition
A single day, from 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, but packed with content: the Nuovo Cinema Aquila in Rome transformed into a true visual effects campus, with the Main Stage, two technical rooms, a Tech Area, and a Job Fair running in parallel. The chosen theme, "Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," permeated all sessions, contrasting the artist's work with the power of algorithmic tools that have now become staples in production pipelines.
Over fifty international professionals took turns in keynotes, panels, and workshops, with the participation of companies such as Weta FX, Adobe, Pixar, ILM, DNEG, and Framestore. Great emphasis was also placed on young talent, with the AVFX Student Award 2026 featuring over sixty entries from Italian schools and academies.
Programme AVFX Festival 2026
Saturday, April 18, 2026 — Nuovo Cinema Aquila, 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM
- Main Stage (173 seats) — international keynotes on the theme "Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."
- Richard Baneham, three-time Oscar and BAFTA winner, Senior VFX Supervisor and Animation Director of Avatar, live from Los Angeles: from Performance Capture to Virtual Production.
- Gigi Cavenago, Emmy-winning illustrator.
- Guido Quaroni (Adobe, formerly a director at Pixar).
- Paolo Emilio Selva (880 Productions, Weta FX specialist) and Xavier Bernasconi, senior VFX supervisor.
- Over 50 other international professionals in panels and masterclasses.
- Two technical rooms (73 seats each) — in-depth panels and workshops.
- Tech Area — high-end workstations and live demonstrations with Unreal Engine.
- Job Fair and networking sessions with studios and industry companies.
- AVFX Student Award 2026 — over 60 entries from Italian schools and academies.
- Free workshops hosted by Prometeo-Lab in the Pigneto district.
Highlights AVFX Festival 2026
- Keynote by Richard Baneham, three-time Oscar winner (the latest in 2026 for Avatar: Fire and Ash), live from Los Angeles.
- The tenth anniversary of the AVFX association, celebrated with an international program.
- Tech Area with live virtual production demonstrations in Unreal Engine.
- AVFX Student Award 2026 and the Job Fair, true meeting points between education and industry.
- Over 1,000 attendees in a single day.
Prices AVFX Festival 2026
Practical information — AVFX Festival
Location
Nuovo Cinema Aquila, Via L'Aquila 66/74, 00176 Rome (Tor Pignattara district, Municipio V).
How to get there
By metro: Line A, Pigneto or Malatesta stop, both just a few minutes' walk away. By tram: lines 5 and 14 along Via Prenestina. By train: from Roma Termini station, you can reach the area in about twenty minutes via Metro A. Parking in the area is difficult: public transport is recommended.
Tickets
Free admission with mandatory online registration: seats are limited (173 in the Main Stage, 73 in each technical room) and spots fill up quickly.
Tips
Arriving for the morning opening allows you to attend the main keynotes and visit the Tech Area and Job Fair at a leisurely pace. Professionals should be sure to bring their showreel or portfolio.
Information
Official website: www.avfxfestival.it — email: [email protected]
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Where does it take place — AVFX Festival
Nuovo Cinema Aquila
Via L'Aquila 66/74, 00176 Roma