Messina International Film Festival

The context before the rebirth

The Messina International Film Festival is a historic name in Italian cinema: founded in 1955 on the waterfront of the former Irrera a Mare, it had hosted great international stars before moving to Taormina. For decades, the city on the Strait had remained orphaned of its festival, which survived only in collective memory and in exhibitions dedicated to its golden years.

In 2025, the rebirth project was taking shape thanks to Messina-born director and producer Francesco Cannavà and the Arb cultural association, with the support of the Municipality of Messina, the Messina Foundation for Culture, and the Port System Authority. The goal: to bring great auteur cinema back to the urban park of the former Fiera, exactly where the event was born. The actual return is realized with the 2026 edition.