River Film Festival

River Film Festival

Also known as: RiFF
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A floating screen on the River Piovego and the sixteenth-century steps of Porta Portello form the open-air setting of River Film Festival in Padua, Italy. Organised by the Cultural Association Researching Movie, RiFF presents independent cinema from around the world with free admission and opportunities for directors and crews to discuss their work with audiences. Its programme encompasses short and feature films, animation, documentaries, film-school work and virtual-reality experiences, alongside sections addressing queer perspectives and environmental and human-rights issues.

The 21st edition dates are 2–19 June 2027, at the river staircase of Porta Portello. The festival awards Golden River prizes made in Murano glass and audience awards.

Country

Italy

Dates

2 June 2027 — 19 June 2027

Awards and prizes

For the 2027 edition, the jury awards the Golden River, a Murano-glass Osella with 24-karat gold leaf made by Venetian artists, for feature film, International Horizons shorts, Italian Gazes shorts, animation shorts, documentary shorts, film-school shorts, Queer/LGBTQIA+ shorts and Anthropocene shorts. Audience awards, with laurels and certificates, recognise virtual reality and artificial-intelligence shorts.

Festival rules

For the 2027 edition, films must be completed after 1 January 2026. Feature films and short films are eligible, including documentary, film-school, virtual-reality, fiction and animation work. Short films must run from 100 seconds to 30 minutes, including credits. Non-English shorts require English subtitles in a separate .srt file. Submission is through FilmFreeway, with a maximum of three entries per director. Selection is by a festival-appointed panel; its decision is final.

Contacts

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