Tuscia Film Fest
Great Italian cinema under the stars, in front of the Papal Palace in Viterbo
About Tuscia Film Fest
The Italian film festival in the heart of Viterbo
The Tuscia Film Fest is the premier summer cinematic event in the province of Viterbo and one of the longest-running festivals in Lazio dedicated to Italian film. Every year in July, an open-air arena with about a thousand seats is set up in Piazza San Lorenzo, in the heart of Viterbo's medieval quarter, with the Papal Palace and the Cathedral providing a natural backdrop for the evening screenings. It is hard to imagine a more evocative cinema: the audience watches the season's latest films in one of the most famous monumental complexes in Lazio.
A story that began in 2004
The festival was founded in 2004 by the Cineclub del Genio Association, a Viterbo-based group of film enthusiasts and local cultural professionals. The goal, which has remained unchanged for over twenty years, is twofold: to bring the best of Italian film production to Viterbo and to promote Tuscia as a land of cinema, a territory that has been and still is a set for films that have made cinema history, from Fellini and Monicelli to contemporary productions. The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Lazio Region, and the Municipality of Viterbo.
The formula: films and protagonists
The Tuscia Film Fest formula is simple and effective: every evening, a significant Italian film of the season is screened, almost always in the presence of its stars—actors, directors, screenwriters—who meet the audience before the screening. Over the years, many of the most important names in Italian cinema have graced the stage in Piazza San Lorenzo: from Paolo Virzì to Virginia Raffaele, from Luca Marinelli to Edoardo Leo, and from Ficarra and Picone to Rocco Papaleo and Pif.
The festival awards
- Pipolo Tuscia Cinema Award, named after the Viterbo-born director and screenwriter Giuseppe Moccia, known as Pipolo;
- Tuscia Land of Cinema "Luigi Manganiello" Award, awarded to individuals who have linked their work to the territory;
- Mattia Torre Award, established in 2025 and dedicated to young authors of monologues and comedic acts, with final evenings in the autumn at the Teatro dell'Unione in Viterbo.
The evening at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo
Starting in 2026, the festival added a closing night outside the city at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo: the famous 16th-century Park of the Monsters thus becomes the setting for a special event that combines cinema, literature, and landscape, confirming the festival's vocation to tell the story of Tuscia through its most iconic places.
A cultural hub for Tuscia
In addition to the summer festival, the Cineclub del Genio carries out training activities and film education projects in schools throughout the year. The Tuscia Film Fest has thus become a true cultural hub for Viterbo and the entire province, capable of attracting thousands of spectators from Lazio and beyond every summer.
Tuscia Film Fest — edition 2026
Tuscia Film Fest 2026: the 23rd edition
From July 10 to 18, 2026, the Tuscia Film Fest returns for its twenty-third edition: eight evenings in the Piazza San Lorenzo arena in Viterbo, in front of the Papal Palace, and for the first time, a closing night at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo. The program covers the Italian film season with screenings at 9:15 PM, always accompanied by meetings with the protagonists.
Opening the festival on Friday, July 10, is Virginia Raffaele with the comedy «La vita va così» by Riccardo Milani. Other highlights include Rocco Papaleo and Vanessa Scalera with «Il bene comune», Pif with «…che Dio perdona a tutti», and evenings dedicated to «Per te» by Alessandro Aronadio, «Le città di pianura», and «Primavera». Thursday, July 16, is dedicated to families with the animated film «Gino & Friends. Eroi per la città».
Grand finale on Saturday, July 18, at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo with Paolo Virzì: screening of «Cinque secondi», presentation of the Tuscia Land of Cinema "Luigi Manganiello" award, and a tribute to Mattia Torre. The Mattia Torre Award for young comedic authors will return in the autumn at the Teatro dell'Unione in Viterbo.
Programme Tuscia Film Fest 2026
2026 Program — screenings at 9:15 PM, Piazza San Lorenzo, Viterbo
- Friday, July 10 — Opening night: «La vita va così», with guest Virginia Raffaele
- Saturday, July 11 — «Il bene comune», with Rocco Papaleo and Vanessa Scalera
- Sunday, July 12 — «…che Dio perdona a tutti», with Pif (Pierfrancesco Diliberto and Michele Astori
- Monday, July 13 — «Per te», with director Alessandro Aronadio
- Tuesday, July 14 — «Le città di pianura», with Sergio Romano
- Wednesday, July 15 — «Primavera», with actress Rebecca Antonaci
- Thursday, July 16 — Family night: «Gino & Friends. Eroi per la città» (animation), with Marco Storani; reduced price for children under 10
- Friday, July 17 — «Tienimi presente», with Alberto Palmiero and Simone Gattoni
- Saturday, July 18 — Sacred Wood of Bomarzo, from 7:00 PM: «Cinque secondi» by Paolo Virzì, Tuscia Land of Cinema "Luigi Manganiello" award, and tribute to Mattia Torre
Autumn appendix: Mattia Torre Award 2026, October 2-3 at the Teatro dell'Unione in Viterbo, 9:00 PM.
Highlights Tuscia Film Fest 2026
- Virginia Raffaele guest of the opening night with «La vita va così»
- Rocco Papaleo, Vanessa Scalera, and Pif in Piazza San Lorenzo
- Closing night at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo with Paolo Virzì and «Cinque secondi»
- Tuscia Land of Cinema "Luigi Manganiello" Award to Paolo Virzì and tribute to Mattia Torre
- Family night with the animated film «Gino & Friends. Eroi per la città»
Prices Tuscia Film Fest 2026
Practical information — Tuscia Film Fest
Where and when
Screenings are held in July in the Piazza San Lorenzo arena in Viterbo, starting at 9:15 PM; the closing night takes place at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo. Viterbo's historic center can be reached by train (Rome–Viterbo line) or by car via the Orte–Viterbo expressway.
Tickets
Evening ticket €6, online presale €7 (fees included); reduced price for children for the family night. The evening at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo has a flat ticket price of €22. Online presales and tickets at the Museo Colle del Duomo and the Museo dei Portici; evening box office in Piazza della Morte from 7:30 PM.
Accessibility
For some screenings, audio description and subtitles are available via the MovieReading app.
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Where does it take place — Tuscia Film Fest
Arena di Piazza San Lorenzo
Piazza San Lorenzo, 01100 Viterbo