🇮🇹 Official Regulations – CIFF – Cittadella International Film Festival

📍 Cittadella (Padova), Italy
🎞️ Torre di Malta Award – Tower of Malta Award
📅 Next edition: May 8–10, 2026

1. Organization and Mission

CIFF is an international festival dedicated to promoting independent cinema and highlighting new artistic voices, set in the unique historical context of the walled city of Cittadella (PD).
It is organized by Revolux Studios S.r.l., with the patronage of the Comune di Cittadella and support from local cultural institutions.

2. Applications and Categories

Works produced after January 1, 2023, regardless of nationality or language, are eligible if subtitled in English or Italian.

Competition categories:

• Feature Films

• Short Films (max 30 min)

• Documentaries

• Animation

• Web Series (episodes or pilot)

• Music Videos

• AI Videos

All selected works will be considered for artistic and technical awards.

3. Deadlines and Submission Fees

Submissions are open exclusively via FilmFreeway:

• 🟢 Early Deadline – until November 15, 2025

• 🔵 Regular Deadline – until January 31, 2026

• 🔴 Late Deadline – until February 28, 2026

• 🔴 Extended Deadline – until April 11, 2026

• 🔴 Notification Date – by April 16, 2026

• 🔴 Event Date – May 8–10, 2026

4. Admission Requirements

Works not accepted:

• Produced before 01/01/2023

• Already distributed in any physical, digital, or online format

• Submitted in previous CIFF editions

• Amateur or school-level projects

• Produced by CIFF staff members

• Containing illegal, discriminatory, propagandistic, or pornographic content

5. Required Materials

Each submission must include:

• Video file in .mp4 (h.264 codec) with download enabled

• Vertical A4 poster (300dpi JPG or PDF)

• Short synopsis (200–350 characters)

• Full technical sheet: Director, Cast, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Music, Sound, VFX, etc.

• Subtitles in English are mandatory

• Files must be uploaded via FilmFreeway, Festhome & Sfilmakers

• Other delivery methods will not be accepted

⚠️ Incorrect or non-compliant materials may result in exclusion.

6. Selection Process

• Works will be reviewed by a technical committee. If eligible, they may be admitted to the official selection (announcement: April 16, 2026).

• An external artistic jury assigns awards.

• “Selected” on platforms does not guarantee official festival selection.

• Definitively selected works will receive official confirmation by email, requesting attendance confirmation for screening, award presentation, and certificates.

• Jury decisions are final.

7. Awards

Winners are announced during the final ceremony:

• 🎖️ Torre di Malta Award – miniature medieval tower

• 🏆 Personalized plaques with name and category

Main awards:

• Best Film (Torre di Malta Award)

• Best Short Film

• Best Documentary

• Best Animation

• Best Web Series

• Best Music Video

• Best AI Video

Technical & Artistic Awards:

• Best Director

• Best Screenplay

• Best Editing

• Best Original Score

• Best Actress

• Best Actor

Special Honorary Awards:

• Artistic Excellence

• Culture & Territory

• Social Commitment

• Future Visions

• New Generation

In case of absence, awards will be shipped at the recipient’s expense within six months.

8. Screenings

The festival will take place in-person, with optional online sections at the organization’s discretion. Screening files must meet technical specifications provided during selection.

9. Rights and Responsibilities

By submitting, the author:

• Confirms they are of legal age and hold all rights to the work

• Releases CIFF from any legal responsibility regarding copyright and prior contractual matters

• Authorizes non-commercial use of extracts for festival promotion

10. Additional Conditions

• The festival does not cover travel or accommodation costs, but offers partner hotel agreements

• Categories with fewer than 3 eligible works may be canceled (fees refunded)

• Out-of-competition works must also comply fully with these regulations

11. Grounds for Exclusion

CIFF reserves the right to disqualify works in cases of:

• Previously distributed works

• Missing or non-compliant materials

• Misleading or incomplete information

• Poor quality promotional materials

• Illegal or hate-inciting content

• Violent or inappropriate behavior toward the festival

• Attempts to influence the jury

• False information

• Contractual irregularities among production parties

Standard contracts (screenplay rights, director agreements, technical staff, actors) may be requested to verify legal production and remuneration.

12. Acceptance

Submitting to CIFF implies full acceptance of all clauses in this regulation.

13. Audience Access

Attendance implies acceptance of all festival rules.

14. Jury Evaluation Criteria

Each film is scored 1–10 per criterion; the final score is a weighted average.

1️⃣ Directing (20%) – artistic vision, narrative coherence, actor direction, cinematic language
2️⃣ Screenplay (15%) – originality, narrative structure, character development, dialogue quality
3️⃣ Performance (15%) – acting quality, emotional intensity, character credibility
4️⃣ Cinematography (10%) – composition, lighting, visual impact
5️⃣ Editing (10%) – fluidity, pacing, temporal coherence
6️⃣ Sound & Score (10%) – sound design, musical integration, technical quality
7️⃣ Originality & Innovation (10%) – formal research, experimentation, distinctiveness
8️⃣ Cultural Impact (10%) – social relevance, universality, thought-provoking capacity

Torre di Malta Award is given to the film demonstrating:

• Overall artistic excellence

• Strong authorial identity

• Lasting emotional impact

• Cultural and symbolic value

Guidelines:

• Jury independence and impartiality

• Full viewing of works

• Declaration of conflicts of interest

• In case of a tie, the Jury President casts the deciding vote

📩 For inquiries: cittadellafilmfestival@gmail.com