Lo Schermo dell'Arte – Film and Contemporary Art Festival

A unique festival in Italy

Lo Schermo dell'Arte is an international film and contemporary art festival held every November in Florence, in the heart of Tuscany. Established in 2008 by the association of the same name founded by Massimo Carotti, Luca Dini, and Silvia Lucchesi, it has quickly become a benchmark for those exploring the relationship between moving images and contemporary artistic practices. The festival is directed by Silvia Lucchesi, with Leonardo Bigazzi as curator.

What makes this festival truly special is its hybrid nature: it is not merely a film festival, but a project that weaves together screenings, exhibitions, artist residencies, meetings, and educational activities. The headquarters is Cinema La Compagnia on Via Cavour, but initiatives extend to some of the city's most important cultural institutions.

Artist films and art documentaries

The core of the programme is a selection of the best and most recent artist films and documentaries on contemporary art, often presented as national or world premieres. These works address the most urgent themes of our time—political, social, environmental, and identity-related issues—through the personal and creative gaze of artists, blending fiction, documentary, and new technologies like virtual reality.

Each edition also offers monographic sections dedicated to internationally renowned directors and artists, masterclasses, conversations with authors, and book presentations, providing the public with a rare chance to meet the protagonists of the global art scene in person.

VISIO, exhibitions, and city-wide venues

A fundamental component of the festival is VISIO – European Programme on Artists' Moving Images, a European research, residency, and production programme dedicated to young artists using moving images. Through an international open call, eight artists are selected to participate in mentoring sessions, meetings with curators, and a production fund shared with prestigious European institutions.

During the festival, the city also hosts exhibitions and installations in its most evocative venues, from Palazzo Strozzi to the Kunsthistorisches Institut, from the Institut français Firenze to NYU Florence. A formula that transforms Florence into a widespread journey through cinema, art, and heritage sites.

Florence and contemporary art

In a city universally known for its Renaissance heritage, Lo Schermo dell'Arte represents a precious window onto contemporary creation. Promoted with the support of Fondazione CR Firenze and in collaboration with Toscana Promozione Turistica and numerous local institutions, the festival confirms Florence's vocation as an international cultural crossroads, capable of engaging with the present without losing its connection to its history.