Faito Doc Festival
International documentary cinema in the woods of Monte Faito
About Faito Doc
A film festival in the woods of Monte Faito
The Faito Doc Festival is an international event dedicated to non-fiction cinema, held every summer on Monte Faito, in the municipality of Vico Equense, in the province of Naples (Campania). At an altitude of approximately 1,200 meters, within the Monti Lattari Regional Park, the mountain's beech forests transform for a few days into an open-air cinema overlooking the Gulf of Naples and the Sorrento Peninsula.
The heart of the event is the Casa del Cinema, a big top tent immersed in the woods that hosts screenings and meetings with filmmakers. Surrounding it is the Faito Doc Camp, a welcoming space for participation where spectators, artists, students, and volunteers share the festival experience: sleeping on the mountain, eating together, and discussing the films seen the night before.
A story that began in 2007
The festival was founded in 2007 by documentary filmmakers Nathalie Rossetti and Turi Finocchiaro, who chose Faito as a meeting place for European authors and the local public. Over the years, the event has grown into a recognized fixture in the auteur documentary circuit, while maintaining a deliberately intimate and artisanal scale, far removed from mainstream festivals.
Each edition is built around a theme that runs through the entire program: in 2025 it was "Contact," and in 2026 it was "Community." This is not just a superficial label, but a lens through which the selection of films, meetings, and side activities are curated.
The program
Every year, the program brings together dozens of documentaries from over twenty countries, distributed across several competitive sections:
- International Feature Documentary Competition;
- International Short Film Competition;
- Italian Documentary Showcase;
- Docs for Kids, a section designed for children and families;
- Silent cinema with live musical accompaniment.
A significant portion of the screenings is accompanied by the presence of directors, producers, and protagonists in the theater: dialogue with the audience is considered an integral part of the viewing experience. Alongside the international jury, there are youth juries and popular juries composed of local associations, following a principle of pluralistic perspectives that has become a hallmark of the festival.
Beyond the screenings
The Faito Doc Festival also features a program of daytime activities before the woods transform into a cinema: art and photography exhibitions, artistic workshops, performances and concerts, guided nature hikes along the trails of the Monti Lattari, and yoga and meditation sessions. There is also the Pitching Faito Doc – Wings for Creation, a professional networking event for emerging filmmakers, created with international partners in the audiovisual sector.
Vico Equense, the mountain by the sea
Monte Faito belongs to the municipality of Vico Equense, a town on the Sorrento Peninsula known for its "pizza a metro" (pizza by the meter), its hillside villages, and a landscape that transitions from the sea to beech forests in just a few kilometers. Climbing to Faito in the summer means enjoying much cooler temperatures compared to the coast: this is one of the reasons why the mountain has historically been a summer retreat for Neapolitans and locals alike.
The festival is part of a broader summer calendar promoted by the Municipality of Vico Equense together with local associations, inspired by a philosophy of slow tourism that is environmentally conscious and deeply connected to the local community. For those visiting Campania in July, it is a rare opportunity to see auteur cinema in a natural setting that is as worth the trip as the program itself.
Faito Doc — edition 2026
The theme: "Community"
The 19th edition focused on a simple and uncomfortable question: are we still capable of building community? Around this question, over fifty documentaries from more than twenty countries were gathered, distributed across six sections, with nearly half of the screenings accompanied by the presence of directors, producers, and protagonists of the works.
Cinema, nature, and participation
As every year, the Casa del Cinema, the big top tent set up in the Faito woods, hosted screenings and meetings, while the Faito Doc Camp welcomed spectators, students, artists, and volunteers in a shared space of life and work. Alongside the films, nature hikes in the Monti Lattari, exhibitions, artistic workshops, yoga and meditation sessions, and musical moments returned.
A mountain that becomes a cinema
For nine days, Monte Faito, in the province of Naples, transformed into a place of collective viewing at an altitude of 1,200 meters, confirming the formula that makes the festival different from any other event in Campania: non-fiction cinema experienced in the middle of the woods, with the audience as an active part of the event.
Programme Faito Doc 2026
Competitive sections
- International Feature Documentary Competition
- International Short Film Competition
- National Competition / Italian Documentary Showcase
- Docs for Kids, for children and families
- Silent cinema with live music
Some titles in the program
- Rashid, l'enfant de Sinjar by Jasna Krajinovic
- Dans Leur Monde by Isabelle Rey
- L'Ancre by Jen Debauche
- Liti Liti by Mamadou Khouma Gueye
- Napoli Felix by Alessia Maturi and Maria Reitano
- Tempo di Attesa by Brignone
Juries
Five evaluation bodies: an international jury, a youth jury, and three popular juries representing therapeutic centers, the Faito Doc Camp, and environmental associations.
Special events
- V Pitching Faito Doc – Wings for Creation, created with SABAM, SCAM, and ZaLab, under the patronage of SIAE.
- Meetings with SOS Mediterraneo, Spartak Napoli, Oltre il Guscio, and Una e centomila, associations committed to hospitality, inclusion, and combating femicide.
- Workshop "Una Comunità in Cartapesta" (A Community in Papier-mâché) dedicated to collective set design.
- Performance by the Murga di Napoli, art and photography exhibitions, yoga and meditation sessions.
- Guided nature hikes along the Faito trails.
- Closing with a hike from Monte Faito to Pimonte, tasting of local specialties, and a concert with Pimonte musicians.
Highlights Faito Doc 2026
- Over 50 documentaries from more than 20 countries in six sections.
- Screenings in the Casa del Cinema, the big top tent in the woods at 1,200 meters altitude.
- Nearly half of the screenings with authors and protagonists present in the room.
- Five juries, including three local popular juries.
- V Pitching Faito Doc – Wings for Creation for emerging authors.
- Final hike from Monte Faito to Pimonte with tasting and concert.
Prices Faito Doc 2026
Practical information — Faito Doc
How to get there
Monte Faito can be reached by car via the mountain road that climbs from Vico Equense and Castellammare di Stabia, up to the Villaggio Monte Faito. By train, the reference station is the Circumvesuviana station of Castellammare di Stabia or Vico Equense; from there, you must continue by road. The cable car that connected Castellammare to Faito was affected by an incident in April 2025: before leaving, it is advisable to check the official EAV channels to see if the service is active.
Tips
- Even in the height of summer, temperatures drop in the evening at this altitude: bring a sweatshirt or a light jacket.
- Closed-toe shoes are essential for screenings in the woods and for nature hikes.
- Seating in the Casa del Cinema is limited: for the most anticipated events, it is best to arrive early.
Contacts
Official website: faitodocfestival.com — e-mail: [email protected]. Updated information on the program, guests, and accommodation at the Faito Doc Camp is published on the festival's social media channels.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Faito Doc
Casa del Cinema — Monte Faito
Via Strada Alta 65, Villaggio Monte Faito, 80069 Vico Equense