1. The Festival dei Popoli – International Documentary Film Festival – aims to promote and circulate creative documentary and cutting-edge films, to foster discussion between various branches of learning, and to provide a meeting point for in-depth analysis of the relationship between cinema and other disciplines.

2. The festival is organized by the Festival dei Popoli – Italian Institute for Social Documentary Film ETS - with the contribution of European Commission (Creative Europe MEDIA programme), the Italian Ministry of Culture - General Direction for Cinema and Audiovisual, the Tuscany Region and City of Florence. Further contributions are granted by other institutions and private sponsors. 

3. The 67th edition of the Festival dei Popoli will take place in Florence from October 31th  to November 8th, 2026. The programme includes: International Feature Film Competition, International Discoveries Competition, Italian Competition, Habitat, tributes and retrospectives, workshops, debates, thematic focuses, special events. The decisions of the Directors and the Selection Committee are based on the artistic quality of the works submitted and with regard to the originality and relevance of the topics addressed, with particular attention to gender representation in the overall composition of the programme.

4. INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

Documentary films of any nationality and with a length of more than 60 minutes that were completed after November 1st, 2025 (or premiered after that date) are eligible for selection. In exceptional cases, and only at the discretion of the Festival Artistic Director, exemptions on the date may be made for films not yet publicly screened outside their country of origin. Films must be eligible as Italian premieres: films publicly disseminated via Internet and those already screened, in any place and context, in Italy will be excluded. World, International and European premieres will be favoured.

In case of selection, the screening format is DCP. Other formats must be approved by the Festival Programming Office. 

No rental fees will be paid for the films included in the competitive sections.

For each of the films selected for competition, hospitality is provided for the director. Travel and accommodation expenses are covered by a maximum limit set by the organizers. Any excess expenses are the responsibility of the guest. 

AWARDS
An International Jury of experts and professionals in the field of documentary will award the following prizes:
- First Prize: € 7,000.00 (divided equally between the director and the production);
- Second Prize: € 4,000.00 (divided equally between the director and the production);
- Gian Paolo Paoli Plaque for Best Anthropological Film.

Special Mentions may also be granted.

The prizes will be awarded no later than 12 months after their attribution during the Award Ceremony.

5. INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERIES COMPETITION

Documentary films of any nationality and with a duration of 60 minutes or less, completed after 1 November 2025 or whose first public screening took place after that date, are eligible for selection. In exceptional cases, and only at the discretion of the Festival Artistic Director, exemptions on the date may be made for films not yet publicly screened outside their country of origin. Films must be eligible as Italian premieres: films publicly disseminated via Internet and those already screened, in any place and context, in Italy will be excluded. Priority will be given to first and second works and filmmaking approach. World, International and European premieres will be favoured.
If selected, the projection format will be DCP. Other formats must be agreed upon with the Festival Programming Office.

No rental fees will be paid for the films included in the competitive sections.

For each of the films selected for competition, hospitality is provided for the director. Travel and accommodation expenses are covered by a maximum limit set by the organizers. Any excess expenses are the responsibility of the guest.  

AWARDS

An International Jury of experts and professionals in the field of documentary film will award the following prize: 

- Discoveries Prize: € 3,500.00 (divided equally between the director and the production).

Special Mentions may also be granted.

The prize will be awarded no later than 12 months after its attribution during the Award Ceremony.

6. ITALIAN COMPETITION

Italian documentary films (minimum length: 50 minutes) will be considered only if completed after November 1st, 2025 (or premiered after that date). Films publicly disseminated on the Internet and those already screened, in any place and context, in Italy will be excluded. World premiere will be favoured.
In case of selection, the expected screening format is DCP. Other formats must be agreed upon with the Festival Programming Office.

No rental fees will be paid for the films included in the competitive section. 

For each of the films selected for competition, hospitality is provided for the director. Travel and accommodation expenses are covered by a maximum limit set by the organizers. Any excess expenses are the responsibility of the guest.

AWARDS

a) A Jury of experts will award the following prize:

Best Italian Documentary Prize: € 3.000,00 equally divided between director and production.

Special Mentions may also be granted.

The prizes will be awarded no later than 12 months after their attribution during the Award Ceremony.

b) CG ENTERTAINMENT POPOLI doc distribution award for Best Italian Film: the distribution company CG Entertainment (cgtv.it) offers the possibility for films in the Italian Competition to participate in the award, which consists which consists in the distribution of the winner - in on-demand mode - on the https://streaming.cgtv.it/ platform. Details on how to participate will be provided if selected. 

c) Theatrical distribution Award IMPERDIBILI: La Compagnia is a project promoted by the Tuscan Region: a theater in the center of Florence conceived and managed by FST - Fondazione Sistema Toscana for all those who cultivate a passion for documentary films, experimentation, and audiovisual culture in all its forms. The IMPERDIBILI prize will be awarded by the Head of programming of the Cinema La Compagnia together with her team. The winner will be screened at the Cinema La Compagnia during a period of time to be agreed with the production/distribution company. 

d) Theatrical distribution Award IL CINEMINO: Il Cinemino is a cultural project born in Milan in 2018. A welcoming and technologically avant-garde cineclub, an exchange and meeting point for all those who love the seventh art with a particular attention to social documentaries, courageous productions and debut films. The IL CINEMINO prize will be awarded by the founding members of Il Cinemino to the film that best embodies the "Cinemino’s spirit”: commitment, social value and formal innovation. The winning film will be programmed during a dedicated evening and held in the following days (with modalities to be agreed with the production/distribution company).

e) AMC Best Editing Award: AMC – the Italian film and television editing association - awards the Best Editing to one documentary of the Italian Competition.

7. HABITAT SECTION

Documentary films of any length and nationality with particular attention to the themes of contemporary living, the ongoing transformations in the geo-political sphere, the environmental crisis and human rights are eligible for selection.  Italian premieres will be favoured.
In case of selection, the screening format is DCP. Other formats must be agreed with the Festival Programming Office.

Directors of films selected in the Habitat Section will receive Festival accreditation and the Hospitality Office will provide information and guidance. Travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered. 

AWARDS 

a) CG ENTERTAINMENT distribution award for Best Film: The distribution company CG Entertainment (www.cgtv.it) offers the possibility for films in the Habitat section to participate in the award, which consists in the distribution of the winner - in on-demand mode - on the https://streaming.cgtv.it/ platform. The methods of participation will be communicated in case of selection.

8. OTHER AWARDS

a) Human Rights Award - Amnesty International Italia: The Human Rights award is given by Amnesty International Italy to one of the films included in the official selection.

b) MyMovies Award: A selection of the films in the programme will be available online on the MYmovies.it platform as part of the MYmovies ONE service and will participate in the MYmovies Award, which will be given to the film that receives the most votes from online viewers. As a prize, MYmovies undertakes to offer this film a SVOD acquisition on MYmovies One for a period of 18 months on a non-exclusive basis, in full compliance with the planned exploitation windows. The participation procedures will be communicated in case of selection.

9. OTHER SECTIONS
For the other sections included in the programme (Out of Competition, Retrospectives and Tributes, Thematic Focuses, Special Events), the Festival Management will invite films they deem appropriate for the programme. 

10. FILM REGISTRATION

a) Film submissions for the pre-selection involves the payment of a fee of € 20,00 for each film, to cover secretarial expenses.Only films that have paid the registration fee will be considered for the pre-selection.

b) The registration of one or more films must be done through the online registration procedure on the festival official website https://www.festivaldeipopoli.org/?lang=en. At the end of the data entry, you will be asked to pay the registration fee via PayPal or via bank transfer. If necessary, you can receive assistance by writing to Sofia Lora, head of the Programming Office, at the address s.lora@festivaldeipopoli.org. 

Please note: If a film is not selected, the registration fee will not be refunded. If a film withdraws from the pre-selection, the registration fee will not be refunded. If a registration fee is paid twice or more, the additional payments will not be refunded. If the title of the film is not indicated in the reason for payment, the fee cannot be assigned to the film and will not be refunded.

c) Deadlines for online registration are based on the film production date: 

• • 7 April 2026 for films completed by March 2026;
  • 16 June 2026 for films completed by May 2026 and for rough-cuts;

• Late registration: late registration (limited to the period between June 17 and July 4, 2026) requires the payment of a registration fee of € 30,00.

d) For the pre-selection, films must be sent exclusively via a secure online link with password protected access (downloadable Vimeo link is preferred). Url and password must be indicated in the data entry.

Please note: 

Expiration date of the link/password must be later than November 2026 (included) and, in the pre-selection stage, must be in original version with English or Italian subtitles.
Additional material will be required only in case of selection. 

e) Filmmakers and/or producers are solely responsible for the contents of their film and must declare, by registering for the Festival, that they have fulfilled all obligations towards third parties arising from copyright.

f) When registering online, you will be asked for authorization to include the films (if selected) in the festival Digital Media Library. This service - access to which is restricted to accredited professionals - is intended to promote the films to professionals (producers, distributors, other festivals, press).

g) Registration is subordinate to acceptance that all submitted materials received shall remain in the Festival dei Popoli Archives and that permission is granted to the Festival to use them for educational, research or promotional ends, including places and contexts other than the Festival, excluding commercial use, to protect the interests of the Authors and Producers.  

11. SELECTED FILMS

The selection of films, the general programme and the calendar of screenings are the exclusive responsibility of the Festival Management. If a film is considered of interest by the Selection Committee, the production or the filmmaker will receive a pre-selection notification. 

The official invitation, indicating the participation section, will be sent by email to the film's director and/or production company by the end of September 2026.

To confirm your acceptance, it is necessary to send the Agreement form duly completed and signed.

Receipt by the Festival of the completed and signed Agreement form implies full acceptance of all clauses contained therein. Such acceptance is considered final and irrevocable.

The invitation to submit a work must remain absolutely confidential until the Festival officially announces the selection at the press conference to be held in October 2026, unless otherwise specified by the Festival dei Popoli Press Office.

All applicants will be informed of the selection results starting from October 1st, 2026.

12. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED IN CASE OF SELECTION

In case of selection, the following documentation is required:

• film credits (including: country and year of production, format and running time, language, and whether it is a World, International, or Italian premiere);
• synopsis of the film in English;
• statement/note of intent by the director regarding the work done for the film presented;
• biography of the director in English (min. 200 max. 400 characters, spaces included);
• filmography of the director (complete list of titles and year of production);
• at least one photo of the director (1280x960 or 1024x768 pixels, 4:3 ratio, .jpg and .png format);
• photographic documentation of the film with authorisation for publication and promotional activity (1280x960 or 1024x768 pixels, 4:3 ratio, .jpg and .png format);
• posters, playbills, press-books and postcards and any other material useful for promotional purposes (also in .jpg and .png format);
• complete and definitive list of dialogues and list of subtitles (if any) in one of the following languages: Italian, English, French, with the time code of the final screening copy (preferably in .srt format);
• a downloadable screener corresponding to the final version of the DCP (low resolution) to be used as a reference copy for the translation and synchronisation of subtitles. Online screeners are also accepted, as long as they are perfectly identical to the final DCP;
• film file for the Festival Media Library (specifications will be communicated by the Programming Office);
• 1 film trailer for promotional purposes (mov. or mp4).

13. VERSION OF THE SELECTED FILMS AND SUBTITLES

The selected films will be screened in their original version with English and Italian subtitles. The copy of the film with English subtitles printed must be provided by the production company and the shipment will be at its charge. Italian subtitles, if available, must be made available to the Festival. If they have not yet been produced, the Festival will take charge of their realisation and, in this case, they will remain the property of the owner of the translation rights.

14. USE OF THE /FDP LOGO
Producers and distributors of all selected films agree to add the Festival dei Popoli logo to the final DCP screening copy (as well as to the final online viewing version) and to mention the film's selection for the Festival dei Popoli in all the advertising material (posters, press kits, trailers, websites, etc.), using the official logo that will be provided by the Festival offices. The official logo may not be changed or modified.

15. SHIPMENT OF THE COPY

a) The screening copy of the film, in DCP, together with a backup copy, must be received at the festival headquarters no later than 13 October 2026, according to the shipment/delivery instructions provided by the Festival Programming Office. 

b) Each shipment from non-European countries must be accompanied by a custom invoice, a packing list and travel documents (title and number of video supports for each film; in the case of film print:  number of reels and length of film in metres). At the same time, the sender must email the Festival office the shipping notice indicating: film title, date and shipping details (AWB number).

c) The sender is responsible for the shipping and customs clearance costs of the screening copy of the selected films. For the return, the Festival dei Popoli will cover the shipping and customs clearance costs from Florence to the place of destination. If, after the screening at the festival, a copy of the film is requested to be sent to another festival, the shipping and customs clearance costs will be borne by the requesting party. In any case, the Festival dei Popoli will cover the costs of one shipment only. 

d) Should a filmmaker or producer decide to withdraw the participation of a film after signing the Agreement, the responsible party will be required to pay the sum of €3,000.00 as compensation for damages.

16. DONATIONS TO THE FESTIVAL DEI POPOLI ARCHIVES

The donation of a copy of the film to the Festival dei Popoli Archives is appreciated. The donated copy will be used for the purposes of study, conservation and dissemination of knowledge of documentary cinema, to the exclusion of all commercial uses.

17. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The request to participate in the selection implies acceptance of these Rules, available in English and in Italian. In case of interpretation problems, the Italian version of the Regulations alone is to be considered valid for all purposes. The Court of Florence has jurisdiction over any dispute