Mercogliano Film Festival

A film festival at the foot of the Partenio mountains

The Mercogliano Film Festival is a cinematic event that has been enlivening the Multiplex in Mercogliano—located in the municipality of Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino, in the heart of Irpinia and the Campania region—since 2026. Established as a national cultural initiative, the festival is entirely dedicated to promoting independent cinema, new languages of the seventh art, and contemporary visual arts. In a province that lacks a long tradition of major film festivals, the arrival of such an event has been a significant novelty for the local audience, who were previously accustomed to traveling to Naples or Salerno to meet big-screen stars in person.

The first edition, June 3–5, 2026

The inaugural edition took place from Wednesday, June 3, to Friday, June 5, 2026, spanning three consecutive evenings hosted in the Multiplex theaters. The format chosen by the organizers alternates between screenings, auteur documentaries, book presentations, and talks with actors, directors, and writers: not just a simple film showcase, but a journey designed as an opportunity for encounter, cultural growth, and sharing. At the end of each day, the event celebrated the authors, directors, and performers of the presented works on stage, with the presentation of institutional awards.

Independent cinema, documentaries, and books

The program for the first edition was intentionally multidisciplinary. Alongside the screenings, there was space for documentary storytelling, live music, and literature, in a continuous dialogue between different languages. Among the announced works, the documentary In principio era il Canto stands out, written and directed by Flavio Pagano and starring soprano Katia Ricciarelli—a work where audiovisual narrative intertwines with music, memory, and the emotional dimension of the artistic experience. There was also space for the documentary Cutro, 94… e oltre, presented by director Angelo Resta, and two highly attended book presentations.

Guests of the first edition

• Ornella Muti, the festival's special guest, star of the Racconti di Cinema (Cinema Tales) meeting
• Sebastiano Somma and Matilde Brandi, guests of the opening night
• Milena Miconi, among the announced names in the program
• Salvatore Misticone, a historic face of Neapolitan theater and cinema
• Writers Pasquale Aliberti and Pino Imperatore
• Pianist Massimo Buonavita

Legality, inclusion, and civic engagement

One of the pillars of the event is its focus on the great themes of our time. The organizers built the program by trying to combine social commitment, the themes of legality, and inclusion with popular storytelling, offering the public not just entertainment but also a space for active reflection. A specific focus was created in collaboration with School Movie, a project that has been working with schools in Southern Italy on audiovisual languages and citizenship education for years.

Organizers

The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Mercogliano, with organizational support from Agave and artistic collaboration from Evetimes. Mayor Vittorio D'Alessio accompanied the evenings, emphasizing the cultural value of the initiative for the Mercogliano community.

Mercogliano, between Irpinia and Montevergine

Mercogliano is a town of just over twelve thousand inhabitants at the gates of Avellino, nestled on the slopes of the Partenio massif. It is best known as the gateway to the Sanctuary of Montevergine, one of the most frequented places of devotion in Southern Italy, reachable by funicular from the town center. Its location, just minutes from the highway exit and the provincial capital, makes the town easily accessible and a convenient base for those who want to combine a visit to the festival with a weekend in the woods of the Partenio Regional Park and Irpinian gastronomy, from Taurasi and Greco di Tufo wines to mountain cheeses.