Piedicavallo Mountain Film Festival

A window into mountain cinema in the Cervo Valley

The Piedicavallo Mountain Film Festival is one of the most anticipated cultural events in the Cervo Valley, near Biella. Every spring, the village of Piedicavallo, nestled in the heart of the Piedmontese Alps, hosts a series of evenings at the historic Teatro Regina Margherita dedicated to mountain-themed cinema: documentaries, fictional short films, and expedition reports that weave together adventure, nature, sports, and the identity of alpine communities.

The Teatro Regina Margherita

The heart of the festival is the Teatro Regina Margherita, a 19th-century architectural gem of Piedicavallo that has always served as the town's cultural hub. Its intimate and welcoming atmosphere provides the perfect setting for evenings where audiences, filmmakers, and mountain enthusiasts meet and engage in dialogue after the screenings.

A competition open to international filmmakers

The event is not just a film showcase but also a film competition: directors are invited to submit works between five and fifty-two minutes long, inspired by themes related to the mountains, sports, culture, and alpine traditions. A jury selects and awards the most deserving works, with special recognition for films set in the Cervo Valley. Over the years, the festival has featured works from Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, and the United States, cementing its reputation as a small international crossroads for mountain cinema.

Organizers and local roots

The festival is organized by the Pro Loco of Piedicavallo APS in collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club – Biella Section, with the support of the Cassa di Risparmio di Biella Foundation and the patronage of the Piedmont Region, the Province of Biella, the Municipality of Piedicavallo, and the local Alpine Group. It is a project born from volunteer work that renews the bond between culture, sports, and the mountain territory every year.

Atmosphere and spirit of the festival

The evenings offer free admission until capacity is reached, with voluntary donations collected to support the activities of the Pro Loco. Screenings are often accompanied by lectures, meetings with filmmakers, and musical performances, with part of the proceeds donated to local charitable initiatives. It is an event that combines a passion for cinema with a love for the mountains, set in one of the most charming villages in the Piedmontese Alps.