San Martino Film Festival (SMFF)

Independent cinema comes to the square

The San Martino Film Festival, also known as SMFF, is the summer film showcase held in San Martino Valle Caudina, a town in the province of Avellino, Campania. For three nights at the end of July, the town square transforms into an open-air cinema: a screen, chairs set up under the stars, the cool breeze of the Valle Caudina, and an audience that stays to discuss the films with the creators long after the credits roll. This is not a red-carpet festival, and that is precisely its charm: a community event built around the quality of the work and a genuine desire to understand how a film is made.

A festival born in 2022

The festival began in 2022 as a short film review, screening some of the best shorts produced in recent years. Edition after edition, the format has expanded to include debut works and feature films already seen at major national festivals, while keeping its original mission intact: providing a platform for the most interesting young Italian filmmakers of the moment—those the general public has yet to discover. The artistic direction is led by Matteo Petecca, who curates the selection and hosts the guest Q&As.

The format: screening first, then dialogue

Every evening follows the same simple and effective structure. Screenings start around 9:00 PM; afterwards, directors and screenwriters take the stage for an open discussion with the audience. These are not formal presentations, but long, often informal conversations covering writing, independent production, and what it really means to shoot a debut film in Italy today.

• Open-air evening screenings, free admission
• Q&A with the filmmakers after every film
• Special focus on short films and debut works
• In case of rain, screenings move indoors to the Town Hall council chamber

The Gianni Raviele and Mario Cavaccini Awards

The festival includes the San Martino Valle Caudina Prize, divided into two sections: the Gianni Raviele Literary Prize, for unpublished short stories, and the Mario Cavaccini Film Prize, dedicated to unproduced short film scripts. Participation is free, entries are judged anonymously, and the winners are announced during the final night of the festival. It is a tangible way to bridge the gap between literature and cinema while attracting authors from all over Italy to San Martino.

San Martino Valle Caudina, between Partenio and Taburno

The town is nestled in the Valle Caudina, along the natural corridor connecting Irpinia to Sannio, at the foot of the Partenio massif and facing the Taburno mountains. It is a land of forests, chestnut groves, and ancient transit routes, now easily accessible from the Naples area, Benevento, and Avellino. The festival makes the most of this: those arriving for a screening find themselves in a village perfect for exploring on foot, with its narrow alleys and views over the valley, and can extend the evening in one of the local trattorias.

A festival with an eye on the youth

In a landscape where cinemas in small towns are closing one after another, the SMFF attempts the most difficult task: taking cinema out of the multiplexes and returning it to the public square, for free, with the filmmakers in attendance. The result is a diverse audience of enthusiasts, curious locals, and spectators from neighboring towns. For inland Campania, often far from major cultural circuits, it is a precious cultural hub.

Looking ahead to the next edition

As of the update of this entry, the organizers have not yet released the dates and program for the 2026 edition. The festival traditionally takes place at the end of July: we recommend checking the official channels of the Municipality of San Martino Valle Caudina and the San Martino Film Festival Facebook page before planning your visit.