Fano Film Festival

A benchmark for short films

The Fano Film Festival (Fano International Film Festival) is one of the most established film festivals in the Marche region and in Italy. Born in the heart of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, it is promoted and organized by the Fotovideocineclub of Fano in collaboration with the Municipality of Fano, the Ministry of Culture, and FEDIC (Italian Federation of Cineclubs). Now in its thirty-eighth edition in 2026, the festival has established itself over the years as a reference point for independent authors, emerging directors, and industry professionals.

The mission: giving voice to young authors

The heart of the event is the short film: short works, with a maximum duration of thirty minutes, shot on Super 8, 16-35 mm film, or in any digital format. The festival's stated goal is to promote the circulation of films by young directors capable of expressing new ideas and sensitivities, addressing contemporary themes, and offering original insights into formal and linguistic research. Every year, thousands of works from all over the world arrive in Fano, a testament to the international reputation the festival has built.

Sections and competitions

The program is divided into several competitive and in-depth sections, which animate the hall throughout the week with screenings dedicated to different themes:

• Italian Cinema, a showcase for national auteur shorts;
• International Showcase, featuring works from abroad;
• Animation Night, dedicated to Italian and international animated cinema;
• collaboration with the CSC – National Film School of Rome;
• a section dedicated to filmmakers from the Marche region, to support the local territory.

At the end of the screenings, the Gala Afternoon awards the festival prizes, including the recognition for the best Italian auteur film (with the FEDIC Plaque), for the best foreign auteur film, for the best animated film, for the best soundtrack, for the best actor, and for the best filmmaker from the Marche region.

A week of cinema in Fano

The historic venue for the screenings is the Nuova Sala Masetti, located on Via Don Bosco, in the center of Fano. During the week, the festival attracts around ten thousand spectators and enriches the calendar with special events, such as the surprise dawn screening with breakfast and the usual evening post-festival gathering. Admission to public screenings in the hall is free, a choice that has always made the festival accessible to the entire community.

Fano, city of cinema

As one of Fano's major cultural events, ancient Fanum Fortunae on the Adriatic coast, the Fano Film Festival helps make the city a crossroads for independent and auteur cinema, fostering dialogue with the public and new generations of filmmakers.