The 39th Bolzano Film Festival Bozen (BFFB), which took place from 10 to 19 April 2026, has come to a close on an extremely positive note. For ten days, Bolzano once again became a meeting place for filmmakers, industry representatives and cinema enthusiasts from Italy and abroad. With a diverse programme, numerous guests and strong audience participation, the festival was able to further consolidate its role as an important cultural reference point in the Alpine region.
In total, the BFFB presented 60 feature and short films from 22 countries, including six world premieres, twenty Italian premieres and five international premieres. The diversity and quality of the programme were also reflected in the audience response: more than 5,000 spectators attended the screenings and events. Particularly encouraging was the strong presence of a young audience, who attended the film screenings, discussions and supporting events with great interest.
One of the most significant innovations of this edition was the expansion of the festival to the Teatro Cristallo in the Europa-Neustift district. With three screenings outside the historic city centre, the festival sent a clear signal of its stronger integration into the urban landscape and its outreach to new audience groups. The positive response confirms the importance of this step and opens up interesting prospects for the festival’s future development.
Twelve outstanding feature films were presented in the BFFB39 Competition. The Autonomous Province of Bolzano’s Award for Best Film went to The Loneliest Man in Town by Tizza Covi and Reiner Frimmel. Further major awards were presented to Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen by Julian Radlmaier and 17 by Kosara Mitič. The City of Bolzano Audience Award was presented to Elon Musk Unveiled – The Tesla Experiment by Andreas Pichler. In addition, the various juries awarded prizes for films from the Euregio, for emerging talent productions, and for works that explore the values of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dolomites.
Particular highlights included the tributes to Ottavia Piccolo and Ulrike Ottinger, who were honoured for their exceptional contributions to the international film and cultural landscape. Their presence enriched the festival, as did that of more than 200 international guests and experts from the fields of directing, production, film criticism, cultural management and film funding.
A key thematic focus of this year’s edition was contemporary Catalan cinema. The film series presented seven works by leading Catalan filmmakers and offered fascinating insights into one of Europe’s most dynamic film scenes. Discussions, meetings and events with producers, curators and directors from Catalonia complemented the programme, making the focus a special experience for both the audience and industry guests.
Alongside the Competition, numerous other sections shaped the festival programme. Sections such as RealeNonReale, BFFB Specials, Local Heroes, Piccole Lingue DOC and LiLi – Little Lights underscored the festival’s aim of highlighting diverse forms of cinematic expression and creating spaces for cultural exchange.
Once again, particular emphasis was placed on promoting regional productions from the Euregio Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino and on addressing linguistic and cultural minorities.
The BFFB Industry Days also continued to grow in significance. With initiatives such as NORD/EST/DOC/CAMP and MASO, the festival offered filmmakers valuable opportunities for project development, networking and presenting their work to an international professional audience. Workshops, pitching sessions and other industry events such as SCRIPTUM once again made the BFFB an important meeting place for the film industry.
Furthermore, existing collaborations with cultural and academic partner institutions were further strengthened. The collaboration with the ZeLIG Film School was expanded and complemented by the introduction of a new film award and the production of interviews with inspiring festival guests. Joint projects with the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, the Südtirol Jazz Festival Alto Adige, WAAG, the Film Association South Tyrol (FAS) and other partners enriched the festival programme and strengthened networking within the regional cultural landscape.
The 39th edition of the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen has once again demonstrated how fruitful the combination of international film culture, regional roots, support for emerging talent and social dialogue can be. The positive results of this edition form a solid foundation for the festival’s further development and already set the stage for the anniversary edition: the 40th Bolzano Film Festival Bozen will take place from 9 to 18 April 2027.
