Carlo Rambaldi Award

A tribute to the genius from Vigarano Mainarda

The Carlo Rambaldi Award was born in the heart of the Ferrara region, in Vigarano Mainarda, a small municipality in Emilia-Romagna that was the birthplace of one of the greatest masters of world cinema. Carlo Rambaldi, a three-time Oscar winner, was the creator of immortal icons such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the King Kong of 1976, and the creature from Alien. A painter, sculptor, and poet as well as a special effects wizard, Rambaldi knew how to transform fantasy into visual reality, teaching Hollywood to dream. The festival that bears his name aims to pass on his genius to new generations, intertwining memory and contemporary creativity.

A distributed festival among cinema, music, and visual arts

Conceived as a multidisciplinary event spread across the territory, the Carlo Rambaldi Award is divided into three macro-categories that reflect the multifaceted figure of the master:

• Cinema and audiovisual — short films, digital works, and video productions;
• Music and sound — original compositions and soundtracks;
• Visual arts and narrative — painting, graphics, illustration, and storytelling.

The finalist works are presented and awarded as part of the official program, with accolades including the Carlo Rambaldi Award, the Award for Vision, the Award for Innovation, and several special mentions. Participation is open to artists, students, creatives, professionals, and collectives of any age or origin, and registration is free.

Workshops, screenings, and concerts

In addition to the competition, the festival offers a rich calendar of workshops, screenings, concerts, film appreciation meetings, and conferences dedicated to Rambaldi's works. Schools and young people play a central role: a part of the program is reserved for educational activities and competitions designed for children and teenagers, so that imagination can be nurtured from the earliest age. The event involves various locations in the town, from cultural halls to outdoor spaces, in an experience that embraces the entire community.

A network of cultural partners

The Carlo Rambaldi Award is promoted by the Municipal Administration of Vigarano Mainarda with the support of the Ministry of Culture and relies on a solid network of partners: the Girolamo Frescobaldi Conservatory of Ferrara, the Academy of Fine Arts of Ravenna, the Theremin Civic Music School, and the associations Feedback Aps, Assonanza, and AIdSM. This collaboration testifies to the project's roots in the cultural fabric of Emilia-Romagna and its ambition to become a reference event for young talents in cinema, music, and the arts.

Why participate

Visiting Vigarano Mainarda during the Carlo Rambaldi Award means discovering an authentic corner of the province of Ferrara and breathing in the creative atmosphere of a festival that combines tradition and innovation. It is an opportunity to pay homage to an Italian genius who conquered Hollywood and, at the same time, to witness the birth of new artistic visions, in a continuous dialogue between the glorious past of cinema and the future of digital arts.