Luci nel Bosco — 23rd Festival of Cinema of the Real and the Unreal

A night of cinema among the trees

Luci nel Bosco is the most poetic extension of the Festival of Cinema of the Real and the Unreal, a historic Salento event dedicated to non-fiction cinema, documentaries, and experimental audiovisual forms. While the heart of the festival beats at the Castello Volante in Corigliano d'Otranto, it is in the Municipality of Tiggiano, at the southern tip of Salento in the province of Lecce, that the project finds its most intimate dimension: a unique evening lasting from sunset to dawn, dedicated to our relationship with plants and animals, and to the care and protection of the landscape.

The Bosco-Giardino of the Palazzo Baronale

The evening takes place in the Bosco-Giardino of the Palazzo Baronale Serafini-Sauli, an oasis of biodiversity in the historic center of Tiggiano, populated by holm oaks, oaks, orange groves, and aromatic plants. In this natural setting, among paths and clearings, screens are set up for screenings, stages for live music, and art installations designed specifically for the location. The audience is invited to move freely, sit on the grass, and let themselves be guided by the sounds and images emerging from the darkness of the woods.

Cinema, ecology, and landscape

The common thread of Luci nel Bosco is the dialogue between cinema and nature: documentaries, short films, animated features, and visions of the South tell stories of the environment, ecology, and the deep bond between communities and their territory. Screenings alternate with concerts, performances, workshops, and convivial moments, in an interweaving of languages that makes the evening an immersive and collective experience. The cuisine, with dishes inspired by Mediterranean tradition and sustainability, completes the nocturnal ritual.

The Festival of Cinema of the Real and the Unreal

Founded in 2004 and reaching its 23rd edition in 2026, the Festival of Cinema of the Real and the Unreal is a benchmark for Italian and international documentary film. Directed by Paolo Pisanelli and produced by Big Sur together with the associations OfficinaVisioni and Cinema del Reale, the event transforms Salento's locations every summer into an open-air laboratory where screenings, photography, music, performances, and live soundscapes merge. The 2026 edition, titled CAOS, takes place from July 15 to 18 at the Castello Volante in Corigliano d'Otranto and continues on July 31 in Tiggiano with Luci nel Bosco.

Tiggiano and Salento

A small village in the Capo di Leuca area, Tiggiano preserves a heritage made of centuries-old olive trees, dry-stone walls, and noble architecture like the Palazzo Baronale. In this corner of Puglia overlooking two seas, Luci nel Bosco also becomes an opportunity to rediscover a fragile and precious landscape, enhancing ecological awareness through cinema and the arts. The event is supported by the Puglia Region and the Apulia Film Commission, as well as the Municipality of Tiggiano.