Est Film Festival
Debut cinema under the stars of Lake Bolsena
About Est Film Festival
Twenty years of cinema on Lake Bolsena
Founded in 2007, the Est Film Festival has become the premier cultural landmark for auteur cinema in the Tuscia region. Its name is a deliberate tribute to the white wine that made the town of Montefiascone famous, the Est! Est!! Est!!!, and perfectly captures the spirit of the event: deeply rooted in the local territory, yet open to the vision of directors from all over Italy. In 2026, the festival reaches its twentieth edition, a remarkable achievement for an event born from grassroots provincial associationism.
A competition dedicated to debut directors
The heart of the event is the feature film competition, reserved for Italian directors presenting their first or second fiction work. Five evenings, five films, and an audience that fills the bleachers of the Piazzale Frigo arena every night with the lake as a backdrop. The jury awards the Golden Arch (Arco d'Oro), accompanied by a cash prize, while the audience votes to determine the Silver Arch – Audience Award (Arco d'Argento). This formula has allowed the festival to discover emerging talents long before they gained national recognition, providing debutants with a genuine audience rather than just industry insiders.
Special Encounters and the Platinum Arch
Alongside the competition, the Special Encounters section brings prominent directors and actors to Montefiascone to receive the Platinum Arch (Arco di Platino). The evening always follows the same ritual: the award ceremony, a public conversation about the guest's artistic journey led by a film critic, and finally, the screening of a significant film from their filmography. Over the years, major names in Italian cinema have graced the stage, and this intimate, unfiltered, and free open-air format has become one of the festival's hallmarks.
A year-round festival
The summer event is only the most visible part of a project that spans the entire year. At the end of January, the Cinema Gallery in Montefiascone hosts the competition dedicated to short films, with morning screenings for schools and evening sessions open to the public. In May, it is the turn of documentaries, scheduled on Thursdays throughout the month, with the awards ceremony held in July. This is complemented by EFF in Schools, an image education project that has been active in local high schools for over a decade.
The network of lakeside towns
Starting in 2026, the event is presented as EFF/Lake Bolsena and expands its reach to eight municipalities: in addition to Montefiascone, these include Bolsena, Capodimonte, Marta, Gradoli, Valentano, Grotte di Castro, and San Lorenzo Nuovo. Between July and August, each location hosts a thematic focus — such as fantasy cinema, emerging female directors, the dialogue between cinema and literature, or lakeside screenings — effectively creating a widespread circuit that covers much of the summer on the eastern shore of the lake.
Montefiascone and the Viterbo Tuscia
The festival takes place in one of the most scenic villages in the Lazio region. Montefiascone, in the province of Viterbo, overlooks Lake Bolsena from an altitude of 600 meters: the Rocca dei Papi, the Basilica of San Flaviano, and the famous DOC white wine provide the natural backdrop for the event. Visitors arriving for the screenings can easily access the Bagnaccio thermal baths, the medieval villages of Tuscia, and the lake beaches — a combination that has made the festival a destination for those spending their holidays in the area.
Free admission
All screenings in the arena are free of charge until all available seats are filled. The organization is managed by the Factotum A.P.S. Association with the support of the Municipality of Montefiascone and local entities.
Est Film Festival — edition 2026
The twenty-year milestone
The 2026 edition marks the twentieth anniversary of the festival, which began in Montefiascone in 2007. The feature film competition takes place from July 20th to 26th in the open-air arena of Piazzale Frigo, with screenings starting at 9:30 PM. Five films compete for the Golden Arch – Crédit Agricole Italia Award, worth 1,000 euros, awarded by the jury chaired by Giampaolo Sodano, and for the Silver Arch – Audience Award, worth 500 euros.
Saturday, July 25th, is dedicated to the Platinum Arch presented to Claudio Amendola, followed by a conversation about his cinema moderated by critic Maurizio Di Rienzo and the screening of his directorial debut. Sunday, July 26th, the final day includes a repeat screening of the winning documentary at the Cinema Gallery, the awards ceremony with the A. Manzoni middle school orchestra, and the restored closing film.
The schedule then extends to the entire network of Lake Bolsena municipalities — Bolsena, Capodimonte, Marta, Gradoli, Valentano, Grotte di Castro, and San Lorenzo Nuovo — with thematic events until August 13th.
Programme Est Film Festival 2026
Feature film competition — Piazzale Frigo Arena, 9:30 PM
- Monday, July 20th — Tienimi presente by Alberto Palmiero (80')
- Tuesday, July 21st — Un anno di scuola by Laura Samani (102')
- Wednesday, July 22nd — RIP by D'Ambrosi and De Santis (90')
- Thursday, July 23rd — Ultimo schiaffo by Matteo Oleotto (101')
- Friday, July 24th — Breve storia d'amore by Ludovica Rampoldi (98')
Special Encounters
- Saturday, July 25th, 9:30 PM — Platinum Arch to Claudio Amendola, conversation about his cinema led by Maurizio Di Rienzo, followed by the screening of La mossa del pinguino (2013), his directorial debut.
Sunday, July 26th — Final Day
- 6:00 PM, Cinema Gallery — repeat screening of the winning documentary È giunta l'ora
- 9:30 PM — awards ceremony and performance by the third-year orchestra of the A. Manzoni middle school
- 10:15 PM — closing film: The Conformist (Il conformista) by Bernardo Bertolucci, in the restored version
Other annual sections
- January 31st, 2026 — short film competition at Cinema Gallery
- May 7th-28th, 2026 — documentary review, Thursdays in May at Cinema Gallery
- July-August — widespread events in the eight municipalities of Lake Bolsena, with a focus on fantasy cinema (Capodimonte), emerging female directors (Marta), cinema and literature (Valentano), and lakeside screenings
Highlights Est Film Festival 2026
- The twentieth edition of the festival, founded in 2007
- Platinum Arch to Claudio Amendola, Saturday, July 25th
- Five Italian debut and sophomore films competing for the Golden Arch (1,000 euros)
- Silver Arch awarded directly by audience vote (500 euros)
- The Conformist by Bertolucci restored as the closing film
- Screenings in the open-air arena overlooking Lake Bolsena
- Widespread network across eight lakeside towns until August 13th
Prices Est Film Festival 2026
Practical information — Est Film Festival
How to get there
By car: Take the Orte exit on the A1 motorway, then the SS Cassia towards Viterbo–Montefiascone (about 30 minutes). From Rome, take the Cassia bis to Viterbo, for a total of about 100 km.
By train: Viterbo Porta Fiorentina station (Rome Ostiense–Viterbo line), then take a Cotral bus to Montefiascone. Alternatively, use the Orte station, a hub on the Rome–Florence line, and continue by bus.
Venues
Summer screenings are held in the open-air arena of Piazzale Frigo, overlooking Lake Bolsena. Winter and spring festivals (short films and documentaries) take place at the Cinema Gallery in Montefiascone.
Tickets
Free admission to all screenings until seats are filled. It is advisable to arrive early for the Special Encounters evenings, which are traditionally the most crowded.
Tips
Open-air evenings start at 9:30 PM: even in the height of summer, it is worth bringing a light sweater, as the panoramic position on the lake can be breezy. Montefiascone offers farmhouses and accommodation, but it is wise to book in advance during the mid-August holiday period.
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Where does it take place — Est Film Festival
Arena di Piazzale Frigo
Via Oreste Borghesi 43, 01027 Montefiascone