Comedy Film Fest

The comedy film festival in Puglia

The Comedy Film Fest is, in the words of its organizers, the largest film festival in Italy entirely dedicated to comedy. Created to provide a high-quality showcase for a genre often overlooked by major festivals, it takes place every summer in Maruggio, a village in the Salento area of Taranto overlooking the Ionian Sea, in the province of Taranto, Puglia. The event unfolds across two complementary locations: the charming historic center of Maruggio, with its narrow alleys and squares, and the lively marina of Campomarino di Maruggio, with its tourist port overlooking the sea.

An international competition driven by laughter

The heart of the festival is the film competition, open to short films (up to 30 minutes) and feature films (up to 120 minutes) of the comedy genre or those with strong comedic elements, coming from all over Italy and abroad. The best works compete for the Fronda d'Oro (Golden Branch Award), the festival's signature prize awarded to the best short and feature film. Award-winning films also gain automatic entry into the official selection of the Ferrara Film Festival, confirming the network of relationships the festival has built within the national film landscape.

Stars, masterclasses, and tributes

Beyond the competition, the Comedy Film Fest is a public event that brings major names from Italian cinema and entertainment to Maruggio. Each edition features red carpets, masterclasses, meet-and-greets with the public, open-air screenings, and tributes to the great masters of comedy, celebrated with plaques and lifetime achievement awards. The Comedy Village, a food and wine trail running along Corso Umberto I, accompanies the evenings with typical flavors of the Salento region, while the final Grand Gala attracts thousands of spectators.

A free and popular festival

One of the event's hallmarks is completely free admission to all activities: screenings, meetings, masterclasses, and red carpets are open to residents and tourists alike, in a festive atmosphere that enlivens the summer in the municipality of Maruggio. The festival is led by a general director and an artistic director, involving the municipal administration, local associations, and businesses, with a growing impact on cultural tourism along the Ionian coast of Taranto.

The Comedy Film Fest has now established itself as one of the most anticipated summer events in the Province of Taranto, capable of combining auteur cinema, popular entertainment, and the promotion of the historical and landscape heritage of Maruggio and Campomarino.