Rome Film Festival (Festa del Cinema di Roma, October): dates, venues, tickets and programme

Updated on October 8, 2026

The Festa del Cinema di Roma, Rome's film festival, takes place every October around the Auditorium Parco della Musica. The 2026 edition, the 21st, runs from 13 to 25 October. It pays tribute to Monica Vitti, one of the great figures of Italian cinema, born 95 years ago, and opens with Paolo Genovese's film "Il rumore delle cose nuove". The artistic director is the journalist and critic Paola Malanga. It is a festival open to the public as well as to professionals: you can see films before their release and spot guests.

Highlights

The Auditorium Parco della Musica

The festival's main venue, designed by Renzo Piano. Screenings, talks and the red carpet are concentrated here; see also our page on the Auditorium Parco della Musica.

The MAXXI and the other venues

According to the City of Rome, the festival also spills over to the Teatro Palladium, the Casa del Cinema, Castel Sant'Angelo and the MAXXI, the contemporary art museum next to the Auditorium. Check the official programme to see where each screening takes place.

Castel Sant'Angelo

One of the additional venues named by the City of Rome: a spectacular setting for a festival evening. See the page on Castel Sant'Angelo.

The programme sections

The festival presents sections including "Cinema progressivo", "Freestyle", "Grand Public", "Proiezioni speciali", "Best of 2026" and "Storia del cinema", plus an awards ceremony.

The guests

In 2026, tributes (lifetime achievement awards) are announced for Tessa Ross and Javier Bardem. The full programme is published by the festival.

Practical info

Tips

Tickets and the list of screenings are on the festival's official website (romacinemafest.it); we do not quote prices, which are set by the event, and popular screenings can sell out. Check the language and subtitles of each screening in the programme. October is a pleasant month in Rome (see what to do in Rome in October); for the other highlights of the year, see our major events in Rome. The programme changes every year: the dates and venues above are those of 2026 (information checked in October 2026, source: Turismo Roma).

How to get there

Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, 00196 Rome. Metro line A to Flaminio, then tram 2 to the Apollodoro stop, a few minutes' walk away; you can also take buses 53, 168, 280 or 910. Allow about 25 minutes from the historic centre. For the other venues, see the pages listed above and our guide to transport in Rome.