Concorto Film Festival

A Cult Event for Short Films

The Concorto Film Festival is one of the most important international festivals dedicated to short films in Italy. It takes place every year at the end of August in the Municipality of Pontenure, in the Province of Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna), a few kilometers east of the provincial capital. The main venue is the charming open-air arena of Parco Raggio, the historic garden of Villa Raggio, where the audience gathers every evening under the summer sky to watch the films in competition.

From its Origins to a National Reference Point

Concorto was founded in 2002 by a group of friends passionate about cinema, with the idea of offering something different from the more traditional cultural events of the Piacenza summer. From a small showcase of Italian directors, with just 72 works submitted for the first edition, the festival has grown to receive thousands of submissions from dozens of countries, becoming a benchmark for short films in Italy and Europe. The Associazione Concorto, which manages the organization, has been structured around the event.

The Golden Donkey and the Awards

The symbol of the festival is the donkey, an animal as humble as it is tenacious: the Golden Donkey Grand Prize is dedicated to it, the main award given by the international jury to the best short film in competition. Alongside the main prize, the Special Jury Prize, the Young Film Lovers Jury Prize, and the Audience Award are presented, highlighting the constant dialogue between auteur works and spectators.

A Rich and Curated Program

In addition to the official competition, each edition features numerous out-of-competition sections and thematic retrospectives, live soundtracks, focuses on specific national cinematographies, and special evenings with concerts and guests. The program alternates afternoon screenings in the city of Piacenza with evening screenings in the Pontenure arena, balancing cinematic research, experimentation, and accessibility.

Cinema Under the Stars in Emilia-Romagna

Supported by the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission, and the Municipalities of Piacenza and Pontenure, Concorto is now an unmissable event in the Piacenza cultural summer. For lovers of auteur cinema and those seeking a different experience, an evening at Parco Raggio represents a journey through short and intense stories from all over the world.