Italy Short Film Days Berlin

What are the Italy Short Film Days Berlin?

The Italy Short Film Days Berlin is a new film festival, taking place for the first time in 2026 — and making Berlin a showcase for Italian short filmmaking. The organizer is the Italian cinema magazine Taxi Drivers, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary (2006–2026) with the premiere. The idea is to use Berlin as an international hub to present contemporary Italian short filmmaking to a European audience — as a bridge between the Italian film scene and international cultural activities.

Four Days, Three Arthouse Cinemas

The festival will simultaneously take place in three independent Berlin arthouse cinemas: Lichtblick Kino (Kastanienallee, Prenzlauer Berg), IL KINO (Nansenstraße, Neukölln), and ACUD Kino (Veteranenstraße, Mitte/Wedding). This selection is programmatic — all three venues represent independent Berlin cinema culture beyond the multiplexes and are established locations for festivals such as FRACTO, Berlinale Forum Expanded, or achtung berlin.

30 Short Films in Competition

30 Italian short films will be in the official competition of the premiere edition. All films will be presented with English subtitles to include an international audience. The screenings will be accompanied by guest talks with filmmakers, Q&As with the audience, public encounters, Italian-style aperitivos, and several awards at the end of the festival.

Patronage and Special Guests

The patron of the premiere edition is the Italian actress Valentina Lodovini. With the Special Guest Award, actors Antonio Bannò and Sara Serraiocco will be honored in 2026 — both currently central figures in Italian auteur cinema.

Strategic Importance

The Italy Short Film Days fill a gap in Berlin's film festival calendar: While the Berlinale selectively presents Italian cinema and there are various country-specific film series in Berlin (French, Polish, Turkish, Latin American), there has not yet been a dedicated festival for Italian short films. The premiere positions the format as an annually recurring showcase — and simultaneously reflects the Italian community in Berlin, which has grown significantly in recent years.