Villammare Film & Friends Festival 2026: the 25th edition from August 22nd to 29th in the Gulf of Policastro

From 22 to 29 August 2026, the Villammare Festival Film&Friends returns , the film festival of the Gulf of Policastro which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary with an even richer programme and an international cast.

Eight days of shows, screenings, meetings, and excitement for an event organized by the Villammare Film Festival Association with the support of the Campania Region and the Municipality of Vibonati and the patronage of the University of Salerno.

The patron of the event is Alessandro Cocorullo , the evenings are hosted by Daria Sarpitta , while the president of the feature film jury is Giulio Base , director and artistic director of the Turin Film Festival. The short film jury is chaired by Massimiliano Terzo.

Guests of the 25th edition

On August 25th, actress Martina Stella cut the ribbon of the festival in Piazza Portosalvo: on the same evening, the film “Era” by director Vincenzo Marra , who was present in the audience, was screened.

On August 26th Clayton Norcross , the famous Thorne from The Bold and the Beautiful, arrives with the screening of “Anna” by the director and actress Monica Guerritore.

On August 27th , Francesca Rettondini and Massimiliano Gallo will take the stage , presenting his first work as a director, “La Salita”.

August 28th is the evening dedicated to soundtracks, with guest Danilo Rea , one of the greatest Italian jazz pianists. The grand finale is on August 29th with Chiara Francini , at the cinema in “Agata Christian,” and the highly anticipated showman Enrico Brignano.

The pre-festival evenings

Three days of non-stop screenings precede the festival in the square. On August 22nd , the Homage to Fellini will take place, with a discussion by Manlio Castagna , writer and former deputy artistic director of the Giffoni Film Festival.

On August 23rd , local productions will be showcased: out of competition, the documentary "Uocchi spierti. I passi di Carlo Palumbo" by Jepis Bottega and the film shot in Vibonati, "La magica vita di Giovannino" directed by Umberto Iervolino.

On August 24th it is the turn of the storyteller Federico Buffa , with the out-of-competition film “Esagerata” and the competing screening of “Arrivederci Tristezza” by Giovanni Virgilio with Nino Frassica.

Meridies Villammare (Outside) Festival

On the two days preceding the festival, August 20th and 21st , in collaboration with the University of Salerno and the Giovanni Ferrari Association, the Meridies Villammare (Fuori) Festival will be held : book presentations, collaborations with publishing houses, awards and exhibitions, because it is often from books that cinematic stories are born.

Info

The Villammare Festival Film&Friends will take place in Villammare di Vibonati , a hamlet of the Gulf of Policastro in the province of Salerno, from 22 to 29 August 2026. The evenings will be held in Piazza Portosalvo.