Rome Film Festival

International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. From 2022, the festival was officially recognized as a competitive festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. The 17th edition of the festival, from which it became competitive festival, took place from 13 to 23 October 2022.^[1] Whereas the 18th edition of the festival took place from 18 to 29 October 2023.^[2]

Festa del Cinema di Roma

Opening film	The Great Ambition by Andrea Segre
Location	Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome
Founded	2006
Most recent	2024
No. of films	100
Festival date	Opening: October 15, 2025 (2025-10-15) Closing: October 26, 2025 (2025-10-26)
Language	International
Website	http://www.romacinemafest.it/

The 19th edition of the festival took place from 16 to 27 October 2024 in the Auditorium Parco della Musica.^[3] The 20th edition of the festival will take place from 15 to 26 October 2025.^[4] Paola Cortellesi, Italian actress, comedian, film director, screenwriter and producer, will chair the jury of the Progressive Cinema Competition at the festival.^[5]

Sections

The Rome Film Festival official program is divided into several sections:

Cinema d'Oggi

A selection of feature films, with priority given to world premieres. At the end of each screening, the audience votes for the People's Choice Award | Cinema d'Oggi.

Gala

Feature films that are world premieres, international or European premieres.

Mondo Genere

Feature films from various genres that are world, international or European premieres, with priority given to world premieres.

Prospettive Italia

World premieres highlighting new trends in Italian cinema. At the end of each screening, the audience votes for the People's Choice Award | Cinema Italia (Fiction) and the People's Choice Award | Cinema Italia (Documentary).

Alice nella Città

Devoted to children films, this sections has two competitive subsections, one for over-12 films and the other under-12.

Awards

The Rome Film Festival award is a silver statuette shaped after the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius statue, placed in Michelangelo's Campidoglio Square.

BNL People’s Choice Award | Gala

The winning film's prize money is given to its Italian distributor, or, if no Italian distributor buys it within six months, to its international seller.

• 2014: Trash (Brazil, UK), directed by Stephen Daldry

People’s Choice Award | Cinema d’Oggi

• 2014: 12 Citizens (China), directed by Zu Ang

People’s Choice Award | Mondo Genere

• 2014: Haider (India), directed by Vishal Bhardwaj^[6]

People’s Choice Award | Cinema Italia (Fiction)

• 2014: Fino a qui tutto bene, directed by Roan Johnson

People’s Choice Award | Cinema Italia (Doc)

• 2014: Looking for Kadija, directed by Francesco G. Raganato

Winners

Best Film

• 2006: Playing the Victim by Kirill Serebrennikov
• 2007: Juno by Jason Reitman
• 2008: Opium War by Siddiq Barmak
• 2009: Broderskab by Nicolo Donato
• 2010: Kill Me Please by Olias Barco
• 2011: Un cuento chino by Sebastián Borensztein
• 2012: Marfa Girl by Larry Clark
• 2013: Tir by Alberto Fasulo
• 2022: January by Viesturs Kairišs^[7]
• 2023: Toll by Carolina Markowicz^[8]
• 2024: Bound in Heaven by Huo Xin^[9]

Jury Grand Prix

• 2024: Night Call by Michiel Blanchart

Best Director

• 2024: Morrisa Maltz for Jazzy

Best Screenplay

• 2024: Christopher Andrews for Bring Them Down

Best Actor

• 2006: Giorgio Colangeli (in Salty Air)
• 2007: Rade Šerbedžija (in Fugitive Pieces)
• 2008: Bohdan Stupka (in Serce na dloni)
• 2009: Sergio Castellitto (in Alza la testa)
• 2010: Toni Servillo (in Una vita tranquilla)
• 2011: Guillaume Canet (in Une vie meilleure)
• 2012: Jeremie Elkaim (in Hand in the Hand)
• 2013: Matthew McConaughey (in Dallas Buyers Club)
• 2024: Elio Germano (in The Great Ambition)

Best Actress

• 2006: Ariane Ascaride (in Le voyage en Arménie)
• 2007: Jiang Wenli (in And the Spring Comes)
• 2008: Donatella Finocchiaro (in Galantuomini)
• 2009: Helen Mirren (in The Last Station)
• 2010: All of the actresses (in Las buenas hierbas)
• 2011: Noomi Rapace (in Babycall)
• 2012: Isabella Ferrari (in And They Call It Summer)
• 2013: Scarlett Johansson (in Her)
• 2024: Ángela Molina (in They Will Be Dust)

Jury Special Prize

• 2006: This Is England by Shane Meadows
• 2010: Poll by Chris Kraus
• 2011: The Eye of the Storm by Fred Schepisi
• 2011: Circumstance by Maryam Keshavarz
• 2012: Alì ha gli occhi azzurri by Claudio Giovannesi
• 2013: Quod Erat Demonstrandum by Andrei Gruzsniczk
• 2024: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Eran Riklis

IMAIE Acting Award

• 2006: Sean Connery
• 2007: Sophia Loren
• 2008: Clint Eastwood
• 2009: Meryl Streep
• 2010: Julianne Moore
• 2011: Richard Gere

Structure

The Rome Film Festival is produced by the Cinema per Roma Foundation, whose president is Laura Delli Colli. The General Manager is Francesca Via.

The Artistic Director of the Festival is Antonio Monda.

See also

• Venice Film Festival
• Rome Quadriennale
• Rome Independent Cinema Festival
• Cento Pittori via Margutta