Marcarolo Film Festival

A film festival in the heart of the Park

The Marcarolo Film Festival is a documentary film festival dedicated to the environment and the relationship between humanity and nature. It takes place every summer in the Capanne di Marcarolo Natural Park, in the municipality of Bosio, in the province of Alessandria (Piedmont). Its unique nature makes it a rarity in the Italian landscape: for the first time, a protected area—the Capanne di Marcarolo Park—has taken on the active role of conceiving and organizing a film event, rather than simply hosting one.

Founded in 2008, the festival is organized by the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Piedmontese Apennines and the Cascina Moglioni Ecomuseum, with the goal of promoting the territory and raising public awareness on environmental issues through the language of cinema.

Where it takes place

The heart of the event is the evocative Teatro nella Natura (Theater in Nature) at the Cascina Moglioni Ecomuseum, in the hamlet of Capanne di Marcarolo, located at an altitude of about 800 meters among the Apennine woods. In larger editions, screenings are held at multiple locations across the territory, including the historic Gavi Fort and the Park Authority headquarters in Bosio, creating a journey that blends cinema, landscape, and heritage.

What to expect

The program weaves together various disciplines and activities:

• Documentary screenings focused on nature and the environment, often in collaboration with the CinemAmbiente Festival in Turin and the National Museum of Cinema;
• Guided hikes and nature walks through the Park;
• Photography exhibitions dedicated to the fauna and landscapes of the Apennines;
• Meetings with directors, naturalists, Park guides, and researchers;
• Side events such as concerts, theatrical performances, and livestock fairs linked to local traditions.

A must-attend for nature and cinema lovers

The Marcarolo Film Festival appeals to a curious audience attentive to environmental protection, as well as families and hikers looking for a different kind of Ferragosto experience: an open-air cinema immersed in the woods, far from traditional theaters, where the stories on screen engage with the real landscape surrounding them. Over the years, it has become a benchmark for environmental cinema in Piedmont and one of the most authentic ways to discover the Capanne di Marcarolo Park.