KinoAppennino

Cinema meets nature in Pettorano sul Gizio

KinoAppennino is an international film festival that, for six days, transforms the medieval village of Pettorano sul Gizio—nestled in the mountains of the Peligna Valley in the province of L'Aquila—into a genuine open-air film set. The event was launched in 2025 by Rewilding Apennines, an organization dedicated to the ecological restoration of the central Apennines, and immediately found its ideal backdrop in this Abruzzo village, one of the 'Most Beautiful Villages in Italy'.

The kinokabaret format

The heart of KinoAppennino is the kinokabaret: a gathering of people united by a passion for cinema who, in work groups formed on-site, write a script, shoot, and edit a short film in just a few days. Each production session concludes with an evening screening shared with the community. You don't need to be a professional to participate: the event welcomes filmmakers of all levels and actively involves residents, who are invited to act in front of the camera and assist the crews.

An international community

Each edition brings together around forty participants, including directors, camera operators, sound technicians, actors, screenwriters, and production assistants from Italy and numerous European countries. The entire village mobilizes around them, with its squares, alleys, and inhabitants becoming the protagonists of the stories told on screen.

Cinema and rewilding

KinoAppennino is more than just a film workshop: it is an opportunity to introduce residents and visitors to the themes of rewilding and nature conservation in the central Apennines. The short films produced range from stories about ecosystem regeneration to intimate tales of the relationship between humans and the landscape, as well as educational productions on responsible resource management.

Public screenings

The most anticipated moments are the free public screenings in the open-air theater of Piazza Zannelli, the heart of the village, where the newly created short films are shown to the public and the local protagonists themselves. These are festive evenings where the village gathers under the stars to rediscover itself on the big screen.

Supporters

The event is sponsored and supported by the Municipality of Pettorano sul Gizio, the Monte Genzana Alto Gizio Regional Nature Reserve, the Valleluna Cooperative, Rewilding Europe, and Abruzzo-based film organizations such as Sulmona Cinema, the Sulmona International Film Festival, CinemAbruzzo, and the Independent Short Film Producers Association.