BCT - National Film and Television Festival
Six days of film, television, and music in the squares of Benevento's historic center
About BCT Benevento
The festival that brings film and television to the squares of Benevento
The BCT - National Film and Television Festival is the summer event that transforms the historic center of Benevento, the capital of the province of the same name in Campania, into a grand stage dedicated to the audiovisual world. For six days, the city's squares host screenings, national premieres, meetings with directors, actors, authors, and TV faces, book launches, comedy shows, and musical performances, with free admission to almost all events.
Ten editions of premieres and encounters
Founded in 2017 and conceived and directed by Antonio Frascadore, the BCT reached its tenth edition in 2026. Over ten years, the festival has featured over 600 events, more than 1,700 screenings (about a thousand of which were national premieres), 14 film premieres, works from 79 countries, and approximately 600 guests, with a total estimated audience of over 550,000. The Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate General for Cinema, ranks it among the most significant cultural events of national importance; supporters and partners include the Campania Region, Cinecittà, the University of Sannio, Rai, Sky, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The festival squares
The BCT is a widespread festival: each location has its own identity and audience.
- Piazza Roma — the main stage, hosting major encounters and evening screenings;
- Piazza Santa Sofia — next to the UNESCO-listed Lombard church, it hosts talks, series premieres, and comedy events;
- Piazza Federico Torre — dedicated to interviews, editorial presentations, and new talents;
- Teatro Romano — the monumental setting for the opening show;
- BCT Screening Room at Vico Santo Stefano — the home of the competitive sections;
- Piazza Cardinal Pacca — the arena for BCT Music concerts.
The competition: short films, documentaries, and independent works
Alongside the public square program, the festival runs a formal competition divided into short films, independent feature films, and documentaries, with hundreds of works selected each year from thousands of entries arriving from all over the world. The juries are composed of industry professionals: producer Nicola Giuliano, honorary director of the event, and directors Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo, presidents of the documentary jury, have led the selections for recent editions. The competition is complemented by special awards dedicated to television, including the Donatella Raffai Award.
BCT Music, the musical finale
The event concludes with BCT Music, the musical section hosted in Piazza Cardinal Pacca: ticketed concert evenings, held right after the main week, which have brought top names of Italian music to Benevento. It is the perfect opportunity to extend the festival by a couple of days and experience the historic center by night.
Why the BCT is not like other festivals
The formula that has made the BCT popular throughout Campania is simple: taking what usually stays hidden behind red carpets out into the open. Interviews with actors are held outdoors, in front of an audience seated in the square, and fiction premieres are watched under the stars. The result is an informal, distinctly Sannio atmosphere where spectators engage directly with the guests. For the Municipality of Benevento, the festival has also become a tool for tourism promotion: those who arrive for the cinema discover the Arch of Trajan, the Church of Santa Sofia, the Roman Theater, and the food and wine traditions of the Sannio region.
BCT Benevento — edition 2026
BCT 2026: ten years of film and television
The tenth-anniversary edition confirmed the formula that has made the BCT one of the most followed summer events in Campania: six days of programming spread across the squares of Benevento's historic center, with over fifty guests from the worlds of film, television, comedy, and new digital languages. The festival opened on Thursday, July 9, at the Teatro Romano with Anni Luce, a concert-show by Lola Ponce with the Benevento Philharmonic Orchestra dedicated to film and TV soundtracks and theme songs from the eighties and nineties.
In the following days, Piazza Roma, Piazza Santa Sofia, and Piazza Federico Torre hosted national premieres of series and films, book presentations, film masterclasses, and television tributes, including the thirtieth anniversary of Un posto al sole and the reunion of the Gialappa's Band. The BCT Screening Room at Vico Santo Stefano hosted the competitive sections for short films, independent feature films, and documentaries. The event, supported by the Campania Region and the Ministry of Culture, concluded with two nights of BCT Music in Piazza Cardinal Pacca.
Programme BCT Benevento 2026
Thursday, July 9 — inauguration at the Teatro Romano
Opening with Anni Luce, a concert-show marking the return to Italy of Lola Ponce together with the Benevento Philharmonic Orchestra: soundtracks, theme songs, and iconic tracks from the film and television of the eighties and nineties.
Friday, July 10
- Piazza Roma: meeting with director Matteo Garrone on his career and screening of Io capitano;
- Piazza Santa Sofia: comedy with Ubaldo Pantani and Federico Basso;
- Piazza Federico Torre: Fabio Balsamo presents his book, with Barbara Foria and Fabio Esposito.
Saturday, July 11
- Piazza Roma: interview with Can Yaman;
- Piazza Santa Sofia: book presentation by Lucio Presta, Giulia Salemi on media and social networks, concert by Nek;
- Piazza Federico Torre: interviews with Irene Maiorino, Paolo Conticini, and Bianca Guaccero.
Sunday, July 12
- Piazza Roma: Pio and Amedeo share their journey, followed by the screening of Oi vita mia;
- Piazza Santa Sofia: Raoul Bova previews the series One of Us, reunion of the Gialappa's Band, and screening of Sensualità a corte;
- Piazza Federico Torre: Sara Drago, then Enzo Miccio and Carla Gozzi for the return of Ma come ti vesti?!.
Monday, July 13
- Piazza Roma: La prima volta, a theatrical piece with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for the 80th anniversary of women's suffrage;
- Piazza Santa Sofia: Elio Germano on cultural storytelling and the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of Un posto al sole with the cast;
- Piazza Federico Torre: Damiano Gavino for Un Professore, comedy by Peppe Iodice, and screening of Mi batte il corazon;
- presentation of the Donatella Raffai Award for television to Tiziana Panella.
Tuesday, July 14 — closing night
- Piazza Roma: Elena Sofia Ricci presents I casi di Teresa Battaglia with the preview of the new season;
- Piazza Santa Sofia: Mandrake on digital creators and preview of the film Blu with cast and director;
- Piazza Federico Torre: Marco D'Amore talks about Gomorra - Le origini and Leutum presents Benvenuti a Black Mansion.
BCT Music — Piazza Cardinal Pacca
- Wednesday, July 15, 9:30 pm: concert by Sal Da Vinci, first date of his 2026 tour;
- Thursday, July 16, 9:30 pm: concert by Alfa.
Competition — BCT Screening Room, Vico Santo Stefano
Competitive sections for short films, independent feature films, and documentaries, with juries chaired by producer Nicola Giuliano and, for documentaries, by directors Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo. A special event on the 80th anniversary of women's suffrage was held at the University of Sannio.
Highlights BCT Benevento 2026
- Tenth-anniversary edition: six days of film, television, and music in the squares of Benevento, from July 9 to 14, 2026.
- Inauguration at the Teatro Romano with Anni Luce, Lola Ponce, and the Benevento Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Film masterclass by Matteo Garrone and screening of Io capitano in Piazza Roma.
- National preview of the series One of Us with Raoul Bova and the film Blu.
- Thirtieth anniversary of Un posto al sole celebrated with the cast, and reunion of the Gialappa's Band.
- Can Yaman, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Elio Germano, Elena Sofia Ricci, Marco D'Amore, Pio and Amedeo, Nek, and Bianca Guaccero among the guests.
- BCT Music in Piazza Cardinal Pacca: Sal Da Vinci on July 15 and Alfa on July 16, both at 9:30 pm.
Prices BCT Benevento 2026
Practical information — BCT Benevento
Getting there
Benevento is served by the Benevento Centrale railway station, connected to Naples, Caserta, and Foggia; the festival squares are all in the historic center, reachable on foot in a few minutes. By car, you can arrive via the A16 Naples-Canosa motorway (Benevento exit) or from the A1, continuing along the SS7 Appia. The nearest airport is Naples-Capodichino, just over an hour away.
Admission and tickets
Most BCT events are free to attend: entry to Piazza Santa Sofia and Piazza Federico Torre is free until capacity is reached, while for Piazza Roma events, a free ticket is required, distributed in the days prior at the festival offices (non-residents can book via email). The BCT Music concerts in Piazza Cardinal Pacca are ticketed, with tickets available on online circuits; the opening show at the Roman Theater has also required an entry ticket in some editions.
Practical tips
The squares fill up quickly: it is advisable to arrive at least half an hour before the start of the most anticipated meetings. On concert evenings in Piazza Cardinal Pacca, the Municipality implements traffic closures and parking bans in the surrounding area, so it is preferable to leave the car in parking lots outside the center. July evenings in Benevento are hot: water and light clothing are a must.
Contacts
Festival secretariat at Via Erchemperto 15 in Benevento, open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm — phone +39 0824 041893, email [email protected].
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Where does it take place — BCT Benevento
Piazza Roma, Piazza Santa Sofia, Piazza Federico Torre, Teatro Romano e Piazza Cardinal Pacca
Piazza Roma, 82100 Benevento