DRIFFest – Of the Story, the Film
The Apulian festival that weaves together cinema, literature, and social issues, from public squares to prison walls.
About DRIFFest
A festival spread across Bari and its province
DRIFFest – Of the Story, the Film is one of the most original cultural events in Puglia. Born from an idea by the I Bambini di Truffaut Social Cooperative and guided by the artistic direction of Giancarlo Visitilli, the festival has been intertwining two complementary languages for years: cinema and literature. Each evening pairs a film screening with a book presentation, inviting directors, actors, and writers to the stage to engage with the audience on a shared theme.
The formula is that of an itinerant, widespread festival: events take place across Bari (at Largo Vito Maurogiovanni) and various towns within the Metropolitan City of Bari, from Giovinazzo to Sannicandro di Bari, in the evocative courtyard of the Norman-Swabian castle, and reaching Rutigliano. The open-air evenings, with free admission, have made DRIFFest a landmark of the Apulian cultural summer.
Culture entering the prison system
What makes DRIFFest truly unique in Italy is its social mission. It is the only Apulian festival that brings cinema and books inside prisons every year: the Trani District Prison hosts several evenings dedicated to inmates, featuring the authors and directors themselves. This is not a symbolic gesture, but a fundamental choice: the festival selects works that address the major challenges of the present — family relationships, school, war, mental health, repressive regimes, adolescence, motherhood, illness, and the lives of children and young people.
Directors, writers, and awards
Throughout its editions, DRIFFest has hosted directors of both Italian and international independent cinema, as well as leading voices in contemporary fiction. The competing works are evaluated by the public and local reading groups, vying for honors such as the Best Film award, the Francesco Laudadio Prize for Best Actor/Actress, and the Best Book award.
With its evenings spread over more than a month of programming, DRIFFest is much more than a summer festival: it is a cultural project that uses storytelling — through films and books — as a tool for participation and social inclusion in the heart of Puglia.
DRIFFest — edition 2026
The 17th edition of DRIFFest – Of the Story, the Film takes place from June 16 to July 24, 2026, with 21 events spread across Bari and its province. The program features 18 films, 16 books, and 2 theatrical performances, with the participation of directors, actors, and writers. The edition opens with a focus on its social mission, with the inaugural evening at the Trani District Prison, and continues in the squares and courtyards of Bari, Giovinazzo, Sannicandro di Bari, and Rutigliano until the closing in late July.
Programme DRIFFest 2026
June 16 — Trani District Prison
- Inaugural evening: director Toni D'Angelo presents the film Nino. 18 giorni to the inmates.
June 17 — Bari, Largo Vito Maurogiovanni (7:30 PM)
- Evening Of the Story, the (human) chains: writer Monica Acito presents the novel Carità carnale (Bompiani) with journalist Antonella W. Gaeta.
- Screening of L'isola di Andrea by Antonio Capuano, with Vinicio Marchioni and Teresa Saponangelo.
June 25
- Journalist Valentina Petrini presents Il prezzo della libertà, followed by the film Per te by Alessandro Aronadio, with Edoardo Leo and Teresa Saponangelo.
June 29 — Giovinazzo
- Evening dedicated to La città dei bambini by Francesco Tonucci.
June 30 — Rutigliano
- Theatrical performance Vorrei una voce by Tindaro Granata (paid entry).
July 2 — Sannicandro di Bari
- Screening of Domani interrogo by Umberto Carteni.
July 6 — Bari
- Writer Cristò presents Sull'orizzonte degli eventi.
July 7 — Giovinazzo
- Screening of A proposito di Luis by Lucia Chiarla.
July 8 — Rutigliano
- Wanda Marasco, 2025 Campiello Prize winner, presents Di spalle a questo mondo.
July 9 — Bari
- Director Petra Volpe with the film L'ultimo turno.
July 13 — Trani District Prison
- Director Edoardo Winspeare presents Vita mia.
July 22 — Sannicandro di Bari
- Theatrical performance Hamelin by Tonio De Nitto (paid entry).
July 23 — Sannicandro di Bari
- Screening of L'attachement by Carine Tardieu.
July 24 — Sannicandro di Bari
- Closing evening: Giuliano Carli and Gianfilippo Pedote present Soldato Peter.
Other announced guests of the edition include: Ivan Cotroneo, Marco Lodoli, Laura Samani, Lucia Chiarla, Luigi Nacci, Gaja Cenciarelli, and Francesco Tonucci.
Highlights DRIFFest 2026
- Inaugural evening (June 16) at the Trani District Prison with Toni D'Angelo.
- Wanda Marasco, 2025 Campiello Prize winner, on July 8 in Rutigliano.
- Antonio Capuano, Edoardo Winspeare, and Petra Volpe among the guest directors.
- 18 films, 16 books, and 2 theatrical performances over 21 evenings.
Prices DRIFFest 2026
Practical information — DRIFFest
Where it takes place
The festival is spread across Bari (Largo Vito Maurogiovanni) and several towns in the Metropolitan City of Bari: Giovinazzo, Sannicandro di Bari (Norman-Swabian castle courtyard), Rutigliano, as well as the Trani District Prison for the evenings dedicated to inmates.
Times and admission
Meetings generally start at 7:30 PM. Admission to screenings and presentations is free, subject to availability. The only exceptions are theatrical performances, which require a ticket.
How to get there
Bari is served by Bari-Palese Airport and the central railway station. The towns in the province (Giovinazzo, Sannicandro di Bari, Rutigliano) are accessible by car and via regional rail and bus connections.
Contact
Cooperativa Sociale I Bambini di Truffaut – tel. +39 328 4071538 – ibambiniditruffaut.com
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Where does it take place — DRIFFest
Largo Vito Maurogiovanni
Largo Vito Maurogiovanni, 70121 Bari