Rome Film Fest
Great international cinema at the Auditorium Parco della Musica
About Rome Film Fest
A festival in the heart of Rome
The Rome Film Fest is the premier cinematic event of the City of Rome and the entire Lazio region. Established in 2006 at the city's initiative and now organized by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, it takes place every October in the Flaminio district. Its headquarters is the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, a complex designed by Renzo Piano that, for twelve days, is filled with screenings, meetings, and international guests.
The formula that made the event famous is that of a "fest": not a festival reserved for specialists, but an event where the paying public sits in the theater alongside critics and participates in Close Encounters—public conversations with major cinema personalities that have become the festival's trademark.
A festival that became competitive
With the twentieth edition in 2025, the Rome Film Fest reached a historic milestone: recognition as a competitive festival by the FIAPF, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. The heart of the competition is Progressive Cinema – Visions for the World of Tomorrow, an international competition of up to eighteen titles that puts fiction films, documentaries, and animated works on equal footing, judged by a jury of cinema and culture professionals.
The sections
- Progressive Cinema: the international competition, featuring awards for best film, direction, screenplay, and acting awards named after Monica Vitti and Vittorio Gassman.
- Grand Public: a non-competitive section dedicated to mainstream cinema, scheduled for prime time and weekend afternoons.
- Freestyle: works that cross genres and formats, from music documentaries to series.
- Best of 2026 and History of Cinema: the best of the festival season and retrospectives dedicated to the masters.
- Alice nella città: an independent and parallel section with its own regulations, aimed at new generations and younger audiences.
- Lifetime achievement awards, tributes, exhibitions, and special events spread throughout the city.
The red carpet and the city
The Auditorium's red carpet is one of the longest in the world and is traditionally accessible to accredited members of the public, who can watch the arrival of guests for free. Over the years, the Fest has brought some of the most important names in world cinema to Rome, alternating between Hollywood stars, arthouse auteurs, and icons of Italian cinema.
The event does not remain confined to the Flaminio district: screenings, meetings, and appointments radiate toward city-center theaters, neighborhood cinemas, and the capital's cultural institutions, as part of a diffusion project that the Foundation carries out all year round with Festa 365 and the summer arenas of Vivi il Cinema!.
Why it's worth the trip
October is perhaps the best month to visit Rome: mild weather, golden light, and less intense tourist crowds than in summer. The Rome Film Fest fits perfectly into this time of year, allowing you to alternate screenings at the Auditorium with walks in the historic center, just a stone's throw from Piazza del Popolo and the Lungotevere. For cinema lovers, it is the chance to see titles that will only hit theaters weeks or months later, and to hear directors and actors talk about their work in person.
Rome Film Fest — edition 2026
The 21st edition
Following the leap in quality in 2025, with FIAPF recognition as a competitive festival, the Rome Film Fest returns from October 14 to 25, 2026, for its twenty-first edition. The structure that has defined the event is confirmed: the Progressive Cinema international competition, non-competitive sections, Close Encounters with great screen protagonists, lifetime achievement awards, and the independent Alice nella città section dedicated to new generations.
The headquarters remains the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, in the Flaminio district, with its red carpet among the longest in the world, while screenings and events extend to other theaters in Rome.
Programme Rome Film Fest 2026
Opening
The twenty-first edition opens on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with Il rumore delle cose nuove by Paolo Genovese, an ensemble film starring Emanuela Fanelli, Claudia Pandolfi, Vittoria Puccini, and Stefano Accorsi, presented in the Grand Public section. The opening night will be hosted by Ema Stokholma. The film's theatrical release in Italy is scheduled for November 12, 2026.
Program structure
- Progressive Cinema – Visions for the World of Tomorrow: international competition of up to 18 titles, without distinction between fiction, documentary, and animation.
- Grand Public: non-competitive section of about 15 titles, in prime time and weekend afternoons.
- Parallel sections, retrospectives, tributes, lifetime achievement awards, and public meetings.
- Alice nella città: independent and parallel section, running concurrently with the Fest, aimed at young people.
Complete program
The detailed program with all titles, guests, and times will be published by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma in early October 2026 on the official website romacinemafest.it, concurrently with the opening of ticket sales.
Highlights Rome Film Fest 2026
- Opening film: Il rumore delle cose nuove by Paolo Genovese, Wednesday, October 14.
- Progressive Cinema competition with the Monica Vitti and Vittorio Gassman acting awards.
- Awards ceremony in Sala Petrassi at the conclusion of the event.
- Close Encounters: public conversations with international directors, actors, and authors.
- One of the world's longest red carpets, accessible to accredited public.
- Artistic direction by Paola Malanga; Foundation presidency by Salvatore Nastasi.
Prices Rome Film Fest 2026
Practical information — Rome Film Fest
Location
Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, Flaminio district, 00196 Rome. Screenings and events also take place in other theaters and cultural venues across the city.
How to get there
- Metro: Line A, Flaminio stop, then tram 2 to the Piazza Apollodoro terminus (5-minute walk to the Auditorium).
- Bus: Lines 53, 168, 910, and dedicated shuttles during the event.
- Train: Roma Termini station, then Metro Line A towards Battistini to Flaminio.
- Car: Underground parking at the Auditorium (paid, limited spaces during peak days); public transport is recommended.
- Plane: Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino airports, connected to the city center by train and bus.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online on the official portal and at the central Auditorium ticket office. Sales usually open about a week before the inauguration. Accreditations are available for the public, students, and industry professionals.
Tips
The most anticipated screenings sell out in a few hours: it is advisable to monitor the opening of sales. Morning slots are the cheapest and often the least crowded.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Rome Film Fest
Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone
Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, 00196 Roma