Laceno Short Film Festival

A short film festival at the foot of the Laceno Plateau

The Laceno Short Film Festival is a young short film showcase held in the town of Bagnoli Irpino, in the province of Avellino, nestled in the mountainous heart of Campania. Founded in 2026, the festival is dedicated to short films, documentaries, and independent cinema, with a distinctly international selection while maintaining a constant focus on the Irpinian territory that hosts it. The core idea is both simple and ambitious: using the screen to tell the story of Irpinia while bringing filmmakers who typically circulate only in major city festival circuits to a mountain village.

Competition categories

The international call for entries, opened in autumn 2025 on the FilmFreeway platform, organized the competition into five thematic sections designed to cover the main genres of short storytelling, plus a special recognition reserved for documentaries:

• Fair & Suspense — horror, thriller, action;
• Drama & Romance — drama and social cinema;
• Humor & Fun — comedy and humorous tone;
• Yesterday & Before — historical and biographical narratives;
• Tomorrow & Beyond — fantasy, science fiction, future imaginaries;
• One Doc, One World, One Vision — special award for the best documentary work.

The artistic direction is entrusted to Antonio Palo, Vincenzo Giannone, and Angelo Mattia Rocco, the latter also serving as director of the Bagnoli-Laceno Tourist Consortium.

The first edition: 73 short films from 9 countries

The inaugural edition, held from June 19 to 21, 2026, received 73 entries from 9 countries: Italy, the United States, Germany, Albania, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Thailand. Ten short films were selected for public screening and awards, spread across the three evenings. 75 actors, directors, and producers visited Bagnoli Irpino, with winning works coming from Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Puglia, Campania, Lazio, and England.

Castello Cavaniglia, the heart of the event

Screenings and award ceremonies were held at Castello Cavaniglia, the ancient fortified complex that overlooks the historic center of Bagnoli Irpino, made available for the event by the municipal administration. Watching contemporary short films within a medieval setting, with the Irpinian mountains in the background, is an experience in itself: the festival chose evening hours, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, to leave the rest of the day free for exploring the village and the plateau.

Cinema and territory: Irpinia on screen

The festival is not designed as a closed-door event. The organizers structured the program so that international guests could experience the village: local hospitality, Irpinian cuisine, excursions, and cross-pollination with other events enlivening Bagnoli that same weekend—in 2026, the festival coincided with a motorcycle rally, creating a unique and lively atmosphere. Lago Laceno and the plateau of the same name, located just a short distance from the center, remain the great natural backdrop of the festival: one of the few mountain areas in Campania with ski facilities and a dense network of trails.

Organizers

The event is promoted by the L.A.C. Eventi association in collaboration with the Bagnoli-Laceno Tourist Consortium, with the patronage of the Municipality of Bagnoli Irpino and the collaboration of the Wolf Film Festival of Grottaminarda. The stated goal is twofold: to promote new cinematic languages and to support the cultural, landscape, and gastronomic heritage of upper Irpinia.

Looking ahead

Following the conclusion of the first edition, the organizers announced their intention to turn the Laceno Short Film Festival into an annual fixture, with a broader format, greater public access, and stronger involvement of the local community. While the recurring nature remains to be confirmed with the 2027 edition, the direction is clear: to make the short film a tool for cultural and tourist promotion for Bagnoli Irpino and all of inland Campania.