The Outdoor Film Festival closed its fourth edition with 20,000 attendees in four days, confirming the event’s growing role as a reference point for cinema and TV series in Italy. Directed by Giuliano Squitieri, the festival turned the Villa Comunale di San Valentino Torio into a large open-air arena from July 2 to 5, with red carpets, meetings, masterclasses, screenings, and free events.
The strong public response highlights the festival’s ability to combine popular appeal with a clear cultural and educational mission. Alongside the presence of international and Italian talent, the event continued to invest in training opportunities and activities designed to bring younger audiences closer to the cinema and audiovisual professions.
International Guests Bring Star Power to the Main Stage
The audience responded strongly to the international and Italian guests who animated the Main Stage throughout the festival. Can Yaman was welcomed with great enthusiasm and received recognition as an international leading man following the success of Sandokan. Ed Westwick, widely known for his role as Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl and also part of the new Sandokan series as James Brooke, was greeted by more than six thousand fans, with selfies, autographs and a long walk through the crowd before receiving the Taurus Award, dedicated to personalities who have left their mark on the international film and television scene.
The festival’s fourth edition also featured Amybeth McNulty, known for Anne with an E and Stranger Things; Matthew Daddario, much-loved for Shadowhunters; Crystal Reed, appreciated for Teen Wolf; Sarah Toscano and Michele Bravi, who also performed live for the audience; The Jackal; Ludovica Coscione; Antonia Fotaras; Luca Melucci; Fernanda Pinto; and Giuseppe Arena. The guests were interviewed on stage by Daniele Giannazzo, in an edition that further confirmed the festival’s international ambition.
Training, Masterclasses and New Talent
Beyond the meetings with artists, the Outdoor Film Festival continued to develop its educational dimension. The program included dubbing masterclasses curated by Mirko Cannella, with Barbara De Bortoli, Alex Polidori, Flavio Aquilone and Arianna Craviotto, as well as the Ciak-OFF and Jur-OFF courses, screenings of the works in competition, and activities dedicated to young people interested in approaching the cinema and audiovisual sectors.
This combination of entertainment, training and access to professionals remains one of the defining elements of the festival, strengthening its role as a bridge between audiences, artists and the wider industry.
The 2026 Winners
In the international competition, Afrodite by Stefano Lorenzi won Best Film. Lorenzi also received the award for Best Director, while Ambra Angiolini was named Best Actress for her performance in the film.
The Best Actor award went to Fabrizio Rongione for The Origin of the World, while Ge Zhang’s My Turn won Best Cinematography.
In the short film section, Best Short was awarded to Marinella by Giuseppe Arena, who also received the prizes for Best Direction and Best Photography.
The performance awards in the short film section went to Antonia Fotaras, named Best Actress for Le faremo sapere, and Vincenzo Nemolato, named Best Actor for Sharing Is Caring.
The winners were selected by two juries composed of professionals from the cinema and audiovisual world. The feature film jury included director and actress Michela Andreozzi, journalist Valentina Ariete and actress Mariasole Di Maio. The short film jury included director Roberta Torre, creator Mattia Ferrari, also known as Victor Laszlo 88, and art critic Luca Cantore D’Amore.
A Festival Built Around Young Audiences
“This year too, we saw thousands of young people experience the festival with great enthusiasm, taking part not only in the meetings with artists but also in the educational activities that are at the heart of our project,” said artistic director Giuliano Squitieri. “The Outdoor Film Festival was created precisely to build a bridge between the public and those who make cinema every day, offering young people the opportunity to dream, meet their idols up close, and imagine a future in the audiovisual world. This year’s numbers confirm that we are on the right path.”
Organized by the Soffermiamoci Cultural Association, with Carmen Fabbrocile and Miriana Squitieri, and created with the contribution of the Municipality of San Valentino Torio, the Carisal Foundation, the Banco di Napoli Foundation and Film Commission Regione Campania, with the patronage of the Campania Region and the Province of Salerno, the Outdoor Film Festival closes its fourth edition with a record audience.
The 2026 edition confirms a format capable of bringing together international guests, training opportunities and the promotion of film culture, while continuing to strengthen its dialogue with young audiences. The festival will return in 2027.
