Ruggero Maccari Award — Cetona Cinema
The screenwriting competition for young authors under 35 in the village of Cetona
About Ruggero Maccari Award
An award for young screenwriters in Cetona
The Ruggero Maccari Award is a biennial screenwriting competition held in Cetona, a refined medieval village in the province of Siena, in the heart of southern Tuscany on the border with Umbria. The event, part of the Cetona Cinema format active since 2019, is dedicated to the memory of Ruggero Maccari, one of the most important screenwriters of Italian cinema, who made Cetona his home and authored masterpieces of the 'commedia all'italiana'.
A competition for young authors under 35
The award is aimed at young screenwriters aged between 18 and 35, who are challenged to interpret a theme chosen for each edition. For the 2025-2026 edition, the theme is "The Journey", to be understood in all its possible interpretations: the geographical and physical journey, but also the mental, spiritual, and artistic one. Participants are invited to explore the multiple facets of this concept through cinema writing.
Prizes and masterclasses
The competition offers three cash prizes: 1,500 euros for the first place, 1,000 euros for the second, and 500 euros for the third. The ten finalists are hosted in Cetona for the awards ceremony and have the opportunity to attend screenwriting masterclasses held by industry professionals. The ceremony, accompanied by meetings and screenings, is traditionally held in July in evocative Cetona venues, including the Sala SS. Annunziata and the gardens of the Sala Polivalente.
Organizers
The Ruggero Maccari Award is promoted by the Associazione Casa Bianchini Balestrieri and the Fondazione Lionello Balestrieri, with the patronage of the Municipality of Cetona. Over the years, the event has built a reference point for emerging cinematic writing, capable of intertwining training, the discovery of new talent, and dialogue between Italian and international authors, all within the fascinating landscape and cultural context of the Sienese Val di Chiana.
Why it is worth discovering
More than just an awards ceremony, the Maccari Award is an immersive experience that brings auteur cinema to the streets of a Tuscan village. For those who love writing, storytelling, and the big screen, it is an opportunity to experience days filled with screenings, meetings with directors, and moments of exchange in one of the most beautiful locations in the province of Siena.
Ruggero Maccari Award — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Ruggero Maccari Award represents the third stage of the biennial screenwriting competition in Cetona. The call for entries, dedicated to young authors between 18 and 35 years old, focused on the theme "The Journey", with preliminary registration by September 2025 and submission of entries by January 30, 2026.
The awards ceremony and masterclasses will take place in July 2026 in Cetona, in the province of Siena. The exact dates and the full program of screenings and meetings will be announced by the organization in the months leading up to the event.
Programme Ruggero Maccari Award 2026
The detailed program for the 2026 edition (exact dates, screenings, guests, and masterclasses) will be announced by the organization in the weeks preceding the July event.
Event structure
- Awards ceremony for the screenwriting competition
- Screenwriting masterclasses for the finalists
- Film screenings and meetings with authors and directors
- Hospitality in Cetona for the ten finalists
Highlights Ruggero Maccari Award 2026
Announcement of the winners of the screenwriting competition on the theme "The Journey" and masterclasses reserved for the ten finalists under 35.
Prices Ruggero Maccari Award 2026
Practical information — Ruggero Maccari Award
How to get there
Cetona is located in the Sienese Val di Chiana, in the province of Siena, near the border with Umbria. By car, it can be reached from the Chiusi-Chianciano Terme exit of the A1 motorway. The nearest train station is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, on the Rome-Florence line, from where you can continue by bus or taxi.
Venues
Masterclasses and meetings take place in the Sala SS. Annunziata, while evening screenings are held in the gardens of the Sala Polivalente.
Participation
Screenings and public meetings are generally free to attend. Participation in the screenwriting competition is via an open call, with preliminary registration and submission of entries by the deadlines indicated on the official website.
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Where does it take place — Ruggero Maccari Award
Sala SS. Annunziata e Sala Polivalente