Citizens’ Lab is a hybrid space where cinema meets democracy and images become tools for reflecting on the world we live in. Developed in close collaboration with the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen 2026, Citizens’ Lab, now in its fifth edition, brings together an international and multidisciplinary group of filmmakers, scholars, professionals and students to explore how images, stories and new media shape the civic imagination, public debate and influence identities.
Through curated screenings, film forums, masterclasses, immersive storytelling experiences, academic conferences and round-table discussions, participants are invited to reflect on visual works not only as an art form, but also as a powerful civic language. The programme combines theory and practice: films are discussed as democratic artefacts, festivals as public spaces and visual media as tools for dialogue, inclusion and participation. The Citizens’ Lab is designed for those who believe that cinema and, more generally, images, serve not only to entertain: they challenge, connect and create communities.