Cinecittà Est Neighborhood Festival (Rete Cinest)

A festival built by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood

The Cinecittà Est Neighborhood Festival is not an event imposed from above: it is the result of a collective effort that every year mobilizes dozens of volunteers in the southeastern sector of Rome, in the Lazio region. It is promoted by Rete Cinest, a coordination group born from the collaboration between the neighborhood committee, the San Giuseppe Moscati parish, local schools, cultural and sports associations, and local merchants. The goal, stated since the very first edition in September 2011, is as simple as it is ambitious: to ensure that people living in the same neighborhood truly get to know one another.

Where it takes place

The heart of the event is the Mauro Calabresi sports facility on Via Francesco Gentile, managed by ASD Cinecittà ProSport, which transforms for the weekend into both an indoor and outdoor square: stage, association stands, dining area, and playing fields. Over the years, however, the festival has expanded beyond its boundaries to include other local landmarks—the oratory of the San Giuseppe Moscati parish, the local market, the Experimental Center of Cinematography along Via Tuscolana, and the Villa dei Sette Bassi in the Appia Antica Archaeological Park—turning into a widespread path through streets, courtyards, and green spaces.

What to expect

The program changes from year to year, but the structure is now well-established and combines very different elements:

• Live music: concerts by local groups and emerging bands on the main stage, often until late in the evening.
• Theater and performance: shows by amateur companies and neighborhood theater workshops.
• Debates and public assemblies: meetings on neighborhood issues—green spaces, transport, safety, schools—and book presentations.
• Sports: tournaments and demonstrations organized by local sports clubs within the facility.
• Children and families: games, entertainment, and creative workshops run by educational associations.
• Gastronomy: stands with home-style cooking and products from local merchants.
• Exhibitions and guided tours: photography, art, and walks to discover the archaeological heritage surrounding Cinecittà Est.

A story in two acts

The event has had two lives. The first part began in 2011 and lasted until the end of the decade: in 2018, the festival, then already renamed CinecittàinFest, celebrated its eighth edition with a four-day program. After the pause imposed by the pandemic, the festival restarted with a new numbering—the third edition was held in October 2024 with the support of the 7th Municipality of Rome, and the fourth in September 2025. This detail speaks volumes about the nature of the event: it is not a brand, but a neighborhood practice that reorganizes itself whenever needed.

Why it's worth a visit

Cinecittà Est is a neighborhood of public housing and apartment blocks from the 1960s and 70s, just a stone's throw from the film studios that gave the whole area its name. It is not a tourist destination, and for this very reason, the festival offers a rare glimpse: that of Rome living outside the historic center, with its committees, its parishes, and its small sports fields. Visitors from outside will find an event with completely free admission, without commercial logic, where the real attraction is the atmosphere of a district that acts like a small town for three days.

Good to know

The festival is traditionally held in September, over a weekend, but the dates are announced shortly in advance through the social media channels of Rete Cinest and the neighborhood committee. It is therefore advisable to check for updates in the weeks leading up to the event.