Nostalgia Film Festival

The Iranian Film Festival in Rome

The Nostalgia Film Festival is the first and only event in Italy entirely dedicated to independent Iranian cinema. Founded in 2019 and free from any political or religious affiliation, the festival has established itself as a space for reflection and discovery, bringing European audiences closer to one of the most intense and award-winning cinematographies on the international scene. The event takes place every autumn across two cities: Rome, the capital of the Lazio region, and Naples, with a program spread across various cinemas, theaters, and cultural venues.

A look at Iran through cinema

Nostalgia welcomes films by Iranian directors, works in Farsi, or films about Iran made by filmmakers of any nationality, all screened with Italian and English subtitles. Through feature films, documentaries, and shorts, the festival offers an authentic, unfiltered look at contemporary Iranian society, tackling themes of memory, identity, rights, and cultural resistance. It is a rare opportunity for Italian audiences to discover works often excluded from commercial circuits but already celebrated at major international festivals.

Competition categories

The program is divided into three main categories, open to the latest productions:

• Feature Films: fiction or animation works over 50 minutes.
• Documentaries: produced in any technique or format.
• Short Films: fiction, documentary, or animation under 20 minutes.

A qualified jury awards prizes for the best feature, best documentary, and best short film, in addition to a special recognition. Submissions are accepted via the international platform FilmFreeway.

A cultural bridge between Italy and Iran

Beyond screenings, the Nostalgia Film Festival offers meetings with directors and guests, tributes to key authors, and moments of dialogue. Previous editions have honored masters of contemporary Iranian cinema and seen the Rome leg hosted in spaces linked to universities and the city's cultural life, confirming the festival's vocation as a bridge between the Iranian artistic scene and the capital's audience. The event is organized by the production company I-Noor film in collaboration with the cultural association C4C.

The seventh edition 2026

The seventh edition will be held from October 10 to November 20, 2026, split between Rome and Naples. As per tradition, the festival intertwines competition films with special events, retrospectives, and meetings, offering spectators in Lazio and Campania over a month of discovery into the new independent Iranian cinema.