Monsters – Fantastic Film Festival

Fantastic cinema takes center stage in Taranto

The Monsters – Fantastic Film Festival is the event that transforms Taranto into the Apulian capital of genre cinema every autumn. Conceived and produced by the Brigadoon – Altre storie del cinema association and directed by Davide Di Giorgio and Massimo Causo, the festival explores the fantastic in all its forms: horror, science fiction, fantasy, weird, animation, and frontier cinema. It is more than just a screening schedule; it is a true cultural laboratory that investigates fantastic cinema as a significant genre and a space for expressive freedom.

Competitions, sections, and awards

The heart of the festival lies in its two international competitions: the Feature Film Competition (works over 60 minutes) and the Short Film Competition (works under 20 minutes), accompanied by the Monsters Kids section designed for younger audiences and the non-competitive Vortex section. Qualified juries award the Monsters Awards for best film and best direction, while the Monsters Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrate the great names of Italian and international genre cinema. The program is completed by retrospectives, thematic focuses, premieres, meetings, and masterclasses in the Off Monsters spaces.

A city-wide festival in the Ionian capital

Screenings bring various venues in the city to life — from the Cinema Teatro Orfeo to the Savoia Cityplex and Spazioporto — with additional events reaching municipalities across the Province of Taranto. The Off spaces, such as Casa Viola and the Mercato Nuovo, host meetings, presentations, and masterclasses, making Monsters a widespread and engaging event that weaves together cinema, culture, and the local territory in the heart of Puglia.

The 2026 edition

The ninth edition of the festival will take place from October 26 to 31, 2026, in Taranto. Submissions for competition entries are already open, and the monster symbol for this edition will be The Invisible Man. The detailed program, including competition titles, premieres, and guests, will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event: for years, Monsters has confirmed Taranto and Puglia as one of the most anticipated destinations for fans of fantastic cinema.