Orvinio Cinema
The auteur cinema festival in the heart of the Lucretili Mountains
About Orvinio Cinema
An auteur cinema festival in the heart of Sabina
Orvinio Cinema is the film festival that has been enlivening the summer in Orvinio since 2022. This small town in the Province of Rieti, Lazio, is part of the 'Borghi più belli d'Italia' (Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) circuit and overlooks the Lucretili Mountains Regional Natural Park. Conceived and produced by the Orviniando APS association, the festival has quickly become one of the most anticipated cultural events of the Rieti summer, attracting directors, screenwriters, actors, and enthusiasts to the village.
A competition open to Italian and international cinema
The heart of the event is the film competition, which awards the best works in three categories: short films, Italian feature films, and international feature films. The selection, curated by artistic director Pietro Oddo, favors independent and auteur cinema, featuring titles that rarely reach the screens of smaller towns. The winners are also decided by a popular jury composed of passionate spectators, a choice that makes the audience a protagonist and has become a hallmark of the festival.
More than just screenings
Orvinio Cinema is not limited to the screen. The program for each edition weaves screenings together with a series of initiatives that bring the historic center and the Sala Manenti, the main venue of the event, to life:
- meetings and debates with directors, screenwriters, and actors present in the hall;
- round tables on social themes suggested by the films in the program;
- art and photography exhibitions set up for the entire duration of the festival;
- concerts and musical moments, often dedicated to film soundtracks;
- themed dinners and tastings of typical Sabina products, by reservation.
The village as a natural set
Much of the charm of Orvinio Cinema comes from its setting. The medieval village, dominated by the Malvezzi-Campeggi castle and surrounded by the woods of the Lucretili Mountains, offers views that become part of the experience itself: you move from the screening room to the small squares of the historic center, from chats with authors to evenings spent outdoors under the stars. It is a formula that combines quality programming with an intimate and convivial dimension, far removed from the frenzy of large festivals.
A community project
The event is part of a broader strategy for regional development carried out by the Orviniando association together with the Municipality of Orvinio. The festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Lazio Region, the Province of Rieti, the Municipality of Orvinio, and the Lucretili Mountains Park, with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo and the Fondazione Varrone. This support has made it possible to maintain a fundamental choice over the years: free admission to all screenings, subject to availability.
Why it's worth the trip
Just over an hour's drive from Rome, Orvinio Cinema is the perfect opportunity to combine a day of discovering the Sabina region—among ancient olive trees, park trails, and local cuisine—with high-level film programming that would otherwise require an art-house cinema in a city. For those who love cinema and Italian villages, it is one of the most pleasant ways to spend a few evenings in July in Lazio.
Orvinio Cinema — edition 2026
Orvinio Cinema 2026: the fifth edition
From July 23rd to 26th, 2026, Orvinio hosts the fifth edition of its film festival. Four days that transform the historic center of the Rieti village into a meeting place for directors, authors, artists, and the public, with the Sala Manenti as the heart of the event.
The edition was preceded on Sunday, July 12th, 2026, by the 'Festival Preview' event: at 5:00 PM, the presentation of the program; at 5:30 PM, the out-of-competition screening of the docufilm Ritorno al tratturo by Francesco Cordio, in the presence of author Filippo Tantillo; and at 7:00 PM, the inaugural aperitif.
What's new in 2026
The fifth edition focuses on a closer dialogue between cinema and visual arts: for the duration of the festival, the Sala Manenti hosts a collective exhibition featuring works by painters Floreana Di Fabio, Flavia Iacovelli, and Daniele Neri. Another novelty is the collaboration with Corto Nero, which brings an entire day dedicated to noir-genre short films to Orvinio, featuring twelve titles from all over the world.
The competition
As in previous editions, the competition awards the best works in three categories—short films, Italian feature films, and international feature films—with the contribution of a popular jury composed of passionate spectators. The program is completed by meetings with authors, round tables, and convivial moments featuring typical Sabina products.
The grand finale in music
The closing is entrusted to a concert by the Sharareh String Quartet—Marzia Ricciardi and Dahlah Lee on violins, Roberta Pumpo on viola, Federica Vecchio on cello—with a musical journey that spans classical, jazz, pop, and rock repertoires, leading up to the most famous soundtracks in cinema history.
The event is organized by the Orviniando APS association with the artistic direction of Pietro Oddo and the organizational direction of Domenico Alivernini, Anna Maria Romani, and Rita Perna, with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Lazio Region, and the Municipality of Orvinio, and the support of Intesa Sanpaolo and Fondazione Varrone.
Programme Orvinio Cinema 2026
Festival Preview — Sunday, July 12th, 2026, Sala Manenti
- 5:00 PM — Opening ceremony and presentation of the fifth edition
- 5:30 PM — Out-of-competition screening of the docufilm Ritorno al tratturo by Francesco Cordio, with author Filippo Tantillo
- 7:00 PM — Inaugural aperitif
Festival — July 23rd to 26th, 2026, Sala Manenti
- Four days of screenings with Italian and international feature films in competition, alternating between late afternoon and evening
- Corto Nero Day: twelve noir-genre short films from around the world
- Meetings with directors and authors present in the hall and thematic round tables
- Collective exhibition by Floreana Di Fabio, Flavia Iacovelli, and Daniele Neri, set up in the Sala Manenti for the duration of the festival
- Award ceremony for the three competition sections (short films, Italian feature films, international feature films) with the vote of the popular jury
- Closing concert by the Sharareh String Quartet, from classical repertoire to film soundtracks
The detailed program with titles and screening times was unveiled during the Festival Preview on July 12th and is available on the Orviniando APS association's channels.
Highlights Orvinio Cinema 2026
- Fifth edition of the festival, from July 23rd to 26th, 2026
- Preview on July 12th with the docufilm Ritorno al tratturo by Francesco Cordio
- Day dedicated to noir with twelve international short films, in collaboration with Corto Nero
- Collective exhibition by painters Floreana Di Fabio, Flavia Iacovelli, and Daniele Neri
- Final concert by the Sharareh String Quartet dedicated to soundtracks
- Free admission to all screenings
Prices Orvinio Cinema 2026
Practical information — Orvinio Cinema
How to get there
Orvinio can be reached by car from Rome in about an hour and fifteen minutes: take the A24 motorway to the Vicovaro-Mandela exit, then follow the provincial roads towards Percile and Orvinio. From Rieti, descend along the Salaria and Turano roads in about fifty minutes. There is no direct train connection: the nearest station is Mandela-Sambuci on the Rome-Pescara line, from which you must continue by car.
Venue and times
The main venue for the screenings is the Sala Manenti, in the historic center of Orvinio. Afternoon meetings usually begin in the late afternoon, with evening screenings starting late in the evening.
Admission
Admission to all screenings is free, subject to availability. The themed dinners and tastings are by reservation and require payment.
Tips
The village is small: it is advisable to arrive a little early to find parking and enjoy a walk through the historic center. Evenings at this altitude can be cool even in July, so it is best to bring a light sweater. For overnight stays, there are farmhouses and B&Bs in Orvinio and the neighboring towns of the Turano Valley.
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Where does it take place — Orvinio Cinema
Sala Manenti