DRIFFest – Of the Story, the Film

A festival uniting books and films

DRIFFest – Of the Story, the Film is one of the most original cultural events in Puglia: each appointment brings a book and a film into dialogue, linked by a social theme, with authors, directors, and actors meeting the public. Born from the commitment of the I Bambini di Truffaut Social Cooperative and directed by Giancarlo Visitilli, the festival is itinerant, traveling across several municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Bari and the BAT province, bringing cinema and literature to town squares, courtyards, and even prisons.

Evenings in Sannicandro di Bari

In Sannicandro di Bari, within the Province of Bari, meetings take place in the scenic courtyard of the Castello Normanno-Svevo, one of the village's landmark monuments. Screenings and presentations begin at 7:30 PM outdoors, with free admission subject to availability. The medieval castle setting transforms every evening into an experience that goes beyond simply watching a film: a collective ritual made of words, images, and debate.

The formula: one theme, one book, one film

The heart of DRIFFest is the juxtaposition of the written page and the screen. Each evening, a novel or essay is presented by the author and resonated with a feature film that shares its perspective on issues such as freedom, parenthood, memory, war, or the fragilities of the present. The festival also makes space for theatre and moments of civic reflection, confirming its vocation to tell the story of reality through the arts.

A project rooted in the Apulian territory

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Puglia Region, Puglia Culture, and the involved municipalities—including Bari, Giovinazzo, Rutigliano, and Sannicandro di Bari itself—DRIFFest is a cultural outpost that brings great auteur cinema and contemporary literature to places where these languages often struggle to reach. For the inhabitants of Sannicandro and visitors alike, it is a precious opportunity to enjoy summer evenings in Puglia in the company of stories, authors, and award-winning films from Italian and international festivals.