.MOV — International Screendance and Audiovisual Forms Festival
Body, image, and movement in the Villa Lais amphitheatre
About .MOV
A festival where dance meets the screen
.MOV was born in Rome as an offshoot of the Teatri di Vetro project and has quickly established itself as one of Italy's most coherent events dedicated to screendance. These are not mere recordings of stage performances; they are works conceived specifically for the camera, where editing, framing, and landscape become integral parts of the choreography. The artistic direction is led by Roberta Nicolai, who curates the selection with a keen eye for emerging voices and underrepresented geographies.
Villa Lais, an amphitheatre in the heart of the 7th Municipality
The festival's home is the modern amphitheatre of Villa Lais, located in Piazza Giovanni Cagliero, in the Appio Latino district of Rome. This choice reflects the project's nature: bringing contemporary audiovisual research not to a central venue, but to a suburban public park, where local residents mingle with industry professionals. Screenings are held outdoors with free admission in mid-July, when the Roman temperatures finally make it pleasant to stay out late.
A truly international program
Each edition features works from over twenty countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. From South Korea and the United States to Iran, Ivory Coast, and Finland, the map changes every year, offering a panorama where the filmed body tells stories of resistance, collective memory, and the relationship with the environment and time. Evenings are organized into thematic programs, ensuring each session has a clear narrative thread rather than being a simple anthology.
.MOV FRAME and the seminar
- .MOV FRAME — short sessions preceding the evening screenings that offer the audience keys to understanding the works without technical jargon.
- Theoretical-practical seminar — a course on performative corporeality, screendance, and viewing conditions, curated by Roberta Nicolai and Marco Longo, connecting stage artists and videomakers on the common ground of the pre-scenic and pre-filmic.
- Audience Award — in recent editions, the audience has been able to vote for their favorite work, with the winner announced at the end of the program.
.MOV KIDS: screendance explained to children
In autumn, the festival moves to municipal libraries with .MOV KIDS, a screendance film club designed for children. Through a selection of short films, participants discover how the body can convey emotions and stories without the need for words, followed by a creative storyboard workshop. Events are held at the Biblioteca Collina della Pace (6th Municipality) and the Biblioteca Nelson Mandela (7th Municipality), with free admission upon reservation.
Why it's worth attending
In the Lazio summer landscape, dominated by open-air cinema and concerts, .MOV offers something different: an hour and a half of intense, often surprising short images that demand an active gaze and reward it. The free format and the informal park setting lower every barrier to entry: you can arrive knowing nothing about contemporary dance and leave with a dozen works on your mind. The festival is realized with the support of Roma Capitale and is accessible to people with disabilities.
.MOV — edition 2026
.MOV 2026, fourth edition
From July 15 to 18, 2026, the Villa Lais amphitheatre hosts four evening programs of international screendance, with works selected from twenty-two countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas — from South Korea to Iran, from the United States to Ivory Coast and Finland. The themes running through the selection include resistance, memory, collective movement, the relationship with the environment, and the perception of time.
The festival, conceived and directed by Roberta Nicolai for the Il Triangolo Scaleno Cultural Association, concludes in autumn with .MOV KIDS, two events dedicated to children in Rome's neighborhood libraries.
Programme .MOV 2026
Villa Lais — Amphitheatre (Piazza Giovanni Cagliero 20)
- Wednesday, July 15 — 8:00 PM .MOV FRAME (introductory meeting); 9:15 PM screening of the first international program. Free admission.
- Thursday, July 16 — 8:00 PM .MOV FRAME; 9:15 PM second screendance program.
- Friday, July 17 — 8:00 PM .MOV FRAME; 9:15 PM third program.
- Saturday, July 18 — 8:00 PM .MOV FRAME; 9:15 PM fourth program and closing of the summer section.
Seminar
July 15 and 16, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM — «Performative corporeality, screendance, and viewing conditions», a theoretical-practical seminar curated by Roberta Nicolai and Marco Longo, dedicated to the technical and creative conditions of the pre-scenic and pre-filmic. Aimed at stage artists and videomakers, registration required.
.MOV KIDS (October)
- Thursday, October 8, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM — Biblioteca Collina della Pace, Via Massa Silani 7 (6th Municipality): screening of screendance short films and storyboard workshop for children aged 8 to 12.
- Saturday, October 10, 10:00 AM — Biblioteca Nelson Mandela, Via La Spezia 21 (7th Municipality): second appointment of the .MOV KIDS film club with final discussion.
Among the titles mentioned in the 2026 selection are Inhale, Bailaora, and Spettri Cromatici. The full program is released by the organization: information at [email protected].
Highlights .MOV 2026
- Four evenings of free open-air screenings at the Villa Lais amphitheatre at 9:15 PM.
- Screendance works selected from twenty-two countries across four continents.
- .MOV FRAME: short meetings at 8:00 PM introducing each evening program.
- Seminar «Performative corporeality, screendance, and viewing conditions» on July 15 and 16.
- .MOV KIDS: film club and storyboard workshop for children on October 8 and 10 in municipal libraries.
Prices .MOV 2026
Practical information — .MOV
How to get there
Villa Lais is located at Piazza Giovanni Cagliero 20, in the Appio Latino district. Take Metro A to the Furio Camillo stop, then walk for about 10 minutes; alternatively, use the bus lines on Via Tuscolana. Free parking is available in the surrounding streets, though it is not always easy to find on screening nights.
Admission and reservations
Evening screenings and .MOV FRAME meetings are free until capacity is reached. The seminar and children's workshops require advance registration by emailing [email protected] or calling +39 339 2824889.
Tips
The amphitheatre is outdoors: it is advisable to arrive a little early to find a seat and bring something warm, as Roman July nights can get chilly after midnight. The seating is stone, so a picnic cushion is highly recommended.
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Where does it take place — .MOV
Anfiteatro di Villa Lais
Piazza Giovanni Cagliero 20, 00174 Roma