Ischia Global Film & Music Festival
Eight days of international cinema, music, and awards on the green island in the Gulf of Naples
About Ischia Global Fest
An international festival in the heart of the Gulf of Naples
Founded in 2003 by producer Pascal Vicedomini and promoted by the Accademia Internazionale Arte Ischia, the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival has become, in just over twenty years, one of the most recognizable summer events in Italian and international cinema. Every July, the municipality of Ischia, in the province of Naples, hosts directors, actors, screenwriters, composers, and audiovisual industry executives arriving from Hollywood, Europe, and across the globe for a week. The event is held with the support of the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture and the Campania Region through the regional Film Commission.
Free screenings and meetings with the stars
The formula that has made the festival popular is simple and generous: all screenings are free to attend. Each edition's program includes major seasonal titles, world and European premieres, documentaries, short films, and independent films selected from over a thousand submissions. Alongside the screenings, meetings with artists and masterclasses allow the public and students to engage directly with filmmakers, without the barrier of a red carpet.
The venues: Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, and Lacco Ameno
The headquarters is the Cinema Excelsior in Ischia Porto, with its two screens running from late afternoon until night. However, the festival extends beyond the theaters to occupy the island's outdoor spaces: Piazza San Girolamo in Ischia, Piazza Marina in Casamicciola Terme, and the park of Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno, where films are screened under the stars in one of the most evocative settings in Campania. The Sala Azzurra in Lacco Ameno hosts professional forums and conferences.
Awards and recognition
Ischia Global is also a busy awards season. Among the most well-known honors are the Ischia Art Award, the Ischia Music Legend Award, the Ischia Truman Capote Award dedicated to writing, and the Ischia Enrico Job Art Award for visual arts and film crafts, in addition to awards for the director, producer, and performers of the year. Over the years, the island has hosted actors and authors who would later become major stars, a talent-scouting vocation that the festival proudly upholds.
Industry, youth, and new technologies
- Production Summit: the annual discussion between Italian and international producers on the future of the audiovisual landscape.
- World Script Market: a showcase for screenplays and projects seeking production.
- Social Cinema Forum and round tables on peace, respect, inclusion, and artificial intelligence applied to cinema.
- International Music Symposium: the musical side of the festival, featuring meetings and concerts.
- Masterclasses and activities reserved for students and young professionals.
Music, the festival's second soul
The name of the festival does not lie: music is not just a side note. Each edition offers tributes to the greats of Italian and international song, live performances in the squares, music documentaries, and awards dedicated to composers and performers. This is one of the features that distinguishes Ischia Global from other Italian film festivals and makes it a truly multidisciplinary event.
A defining event for the Green Island
For Ischia and the entire Campania Region, the event represents much more than a week of cinema: it is a tourist and cultural showcase that brings the island's image to media outlets worldwide in the height of the summer season. Those who arrive in July find an island that lives twice, between spas, beaches, and villages by day, and illuminated screens in the squares by night. The coexistence of vacation and great cinema, in a context where everything is free and accessible, is the true hallmark of the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival.
Ischia Global Fest — edition 2026
The 24th edition: industry and youth
Titled «The Festival of Industry and Youth – Research, Development, and Commitment», the 2026 edition of the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival occupied the island for eight days, from July 12 to 19. The Cinema Excelsior in Ischia Porto hosted indoor screenings, while Piazza San Girolamo in Ischia, Piazza Marina in Casamicciola Terme, and Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno hosted outdoor events. All screenings were free to attend, with part of the program also available for free streaming on MYmovies.it and Eventive.org.
Guests and premieres
Among the 120 announced guests were directors Jim Sheridan and Abel Ferrara, director and producer Trudie Styler, Oscar winners Nick Vallelonga, Bobby Moresco, and Alessandro Bertolazzi, as well as Brandon Routh, Kit Connor, Charlotte Hope, Ronn Moss, Cuba Gooding Jr., Carolina Guerra, and Nicky Whelan. On the Italian side, Monica Guerritore, Lina Sastri, Fabio Testi, Maurizio Lastrico, Corrado Fortuna, Giulia Bevilacqua, Tecla Insolia, and Mariasole Pollio arrived in Ischia. Among the premieres, the Canadian-Irish musical «The Thrift Store» and the Indian film «Ladoo» had their world premieres, while the Iranian film «Takht-e Tavoos» had its European premiere.
Forums, summits, and awards
Alongside the screenings, the Production Summit on new audiovisual scenarios, the World Script Market, the Social Cinema Forum, the International Music Symposium, and the forum «Women's Voices» conducted by Trudie Styler took place. Among the award winners of the edition were writer Erri De Luca (Ischia Truman Capote Award), costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini (Ischia Enrico Job Art Award), and, for the Ischia Art Award, Simone Liberati, Federico Rossi, and Tecla Insolia. The Ischia Music Legend Award went to Riccardo Cocciante.
Programme Ischia Global Fest 2026
Daily structure
- Cinema Excelsior (Ischia Porto) — indoor screenings starting at 7:00 PM, with a second show around 9:00 PM and a late screening around 11:00 PM.
- Outdoor squares (Piazza San Girolamo in Ischia, Piazza Marina in Casamicciola Terme, Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno) — screenings and ceremonies from approximately 9:30 PM.
- Sala Azzurra, Lacco Ameno — forums, conferences, and masterclasses in the afternoon, starting around 4:00 PM.
Day by day
- Sunday, July 12 — Opening night with «Michael» by Antoine Fuqua, a tribute to Michael Jackson, and the first awards.
- Monday, July 13 — «Cinema: Peace and Respect» forum with international directors, screening of «Toy Story 5», tribute to Vittorio De Sica.
- Tuesday, July 14 — Social Cinema Forum, «The Devil Wears Prada 2», and artistic awards.
- Wednesday, July 15 — World Script Market and tribute to Gino Paoli and Ornella Vanoni.
- Thursday, July 16 — International Music Symposium and screening of «Rino Gaetano - Sempre più blu».
- Friday, July 17 — Global Production Summit dedicated to cinema and artificial intelligence, screening of «Hamnet» by Chloé Zhao.
- Saturday, July 18 — «Women's Voices» forum with Trudie Styler, tribute to Riccardo Cocciante, world premiere of «Tex McKenzie» with Ronn Moss.
- Sunday, July 19 — Closing night with final screenings and the presentation of the final awards.
Selected Italian titles in the program
- «La Grazia» by Paolo Sorrentino
- «Le città di pianura» by Francesco Sossai
- «Buen Camino» by Gennaro Nunziante
- «Nel tepore del ballo» by Pupi Avati
- «Gli occhi degli altri» by Andrea De Sica
- «La lezione» by Stefano Mordini
- «Primavera» with Tecla Insolia and Michele Riondino
- «Breve storia d'amore» by Ludovica Rampoldi
Highlights Ischia Global Fest 2026
- 185 free screenings selected from over 1,400 submissions.
- Over 120 guests, including three Oscar winners.
- World premieres of «The Thrift Store» and «Ladoo», European premiere of «Takht-e Tavoos».
- Tributes to Michael Jackson, Vittorio De Sica, Gino Paoli, Ornella Vanoni, and producer Clive J. Davis.
- Ischia Truman Capote Award to Erri De Luca and Ischia Music Legend Award to Riccardo Cocciante.
- Global Production Summit on cinema and artificial intelligence.
- Screenings under the stars at Villa Arbusto (Lacco Ameno) and Piazza Marina (Casamicciola Terme).
Prices Ischia Global Fest 2026
Practical information — Ischia Global Fest
How to get there
Ischia can be reached exclusively by sea. Ferries and hydrofoils depart from Naples (Molo Beverello for hydrofoils, Calata Porta di Massa for ferries) and from Pozzuoli, with connections also from Sorrento and Procida during the summer months. Landing at Ischia Porto is just a few minutes' walk from the Cinema Excelsior. On the island, circular bus lines connect Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, and Lacco Ameno, the three towns hosting the screenings.
Admission
All festival screenings are free to attend, subject to availability. A selection of titles is also made available for free streaming on the MYmovies.it and Eventive.org platforms.
Tips
July is high season: it is advisable to book accommodation well in advance in Ischia Porto, Casamicciola, or Lacco Ameno. For outdoor screenings in the squares, it is useful to arrive a few minutes early. The full program and guest updates are published on the official website and the festival's social media channels.
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Where does it take place — Ischia Global Fest
Cinema Excelsior (Ischia Porto) e sedi diffuse sull'isola