Grifo Festival - Orange the World

Short films against violence, in Chiaravalle

The Grifo Festival - Orange the World is an international short film award that has chosen Chiaravalle, a town in the province of Ancona in the Marche region, as a stage for cinema that does not merely entertain but takes a stand. The main theme is the fight against violence, addressed in its multiple forms and consequences: femicide, bullying, family abuse, civil conflicts, gender and racial inequalities, prejudices and power dynamics, but also paths of rebirth and survival.

Numbers of an international festival

Despite being young, the Grifo Festival has quickly gained a global dimension. The 2026 edition received 1836 short films from 104 nations through the FilmFreeway platform, from which 39 finalists were selected for the competition. Screenings and awards are also broadcast on various television channels, including Sky, TV 2000, and about twenty regional TV stations, expanding the message's reach beyond the cinema hall.

The venue: the Tullio Giacconi Theatre

The heart of the event is the Tullio Giacconi Municipal Theatre, a historic Italian-style theatre in Chiaravalle. Here, throughout the festival, screenings of the finalist short films, meetings with directors, moments of reflection, and debates with experts alternate, culminating in the final awards ceremony.

The awards: the Grifos

The festival awards numerous prizes divided into the official jury's Platinum Grifos (Best Short, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Music), alongside the popular jury's Silver Grifo, the Kids' Grifo voted by secondary schools, and the Heddy Video Award. The competition thus creates a dialogue between the critical eye of industry professionals, that of the public, and that of young people.

A local project

The Grifo Festival is organized by the Marcheting Cultural Association with the patronage of the Municipality of Chiaravalle, the Marche Culture Foundation, the Marche Film Commission, and the Gens Nova association. The festival is part of a network of cultural and social initiatives that make Chiaravalle and the province of Ancona a reference point for socially engaged cinema in the Marche region.