Italian film festivals unveil 2026 programmes

The 27th edition of the Lucania Film Festival will open on 2 August 2026 in Pisticci, Italy, with the theme “Il senso di colpa”. Artistic direction is led by Rocco Calandriello together with director Hana Makhmalbaf and actress Marianna Fontana. The opening concert features Israeli artist Liron Meyuhas and Iranian singer Arezoo, followed by a walking performance in Matera funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation. The festival will also host the Metro Manila Film Festival delegation as part of its LFF OFF International programme.

The Venice Film Festival begins on 2 September, showcasing a slate of films adapted from stark, uncompromising novels. Highlights include Edoardo Gabbriellini’s adaptation of Nicola Lagioia’s “La città dei vividi”, dramatizing the 2016 murder of Luca Varani, and Edoardo De Angelis’s “Il fuoco che ti porta dentro”, based on Antonio Franchini’s memoir. Both films aim to probe contemporary social darkness through cinema.