A programme of events and initiatives organized by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma for the public year round, CityFest is a “container” for previews, festivals, film series and encounters involving personalities from the worlds of cinema, entertainment, art and culture. It is held in many different venues around the Capital city, from the Auditorium Parco della Musica to the MAXXI to the Casa del Cinema, from movie theatres to libraries, from cultural centres to the Universities, thanks to the collaboration with the liveliest and most interesting institutions, associations and public and private entities of the region. Many CityFest events have free admission. Below find some of the events that are part of the CityFest.

– Cinema at the MAXXI: now in its seventh edition, the Fest brings cinema to one of the most important museums dedicated to the expressions of the contemporary. It takes place in the early months of the year and is the product of the collaboration between the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, MAXXI and Alice nella città, and is now established as one of the most important and highly anticipated events in the cultural life of the Capital. The programme, curated by Mario Sesti, includes previews, encounters, Duets and two actual festivals: Extra Doc, the competition dedicated to the finest expressions of Italian documentary filmmaking, and a festival dedicated to Video Essays, which rewards the most innovative forms of criticism and reflection on audio-visual art. The programme is enriched by a programme of films for the entire family, organized by Alice nella città.

– Cinema from the great festivals: a series of film programmes organized by ANEC Lazio with the collaboration of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma which brings to our Capital city the finest films presented at the major international film festivals such as Cannes, Locarno and Venice. Between June and September, Roman audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy previews of some of the films that will be distributed later and others that will never be released in Italian theatres. The films are screened in the original language version with subtitles in Italian.

– Summer arenas: throughout the summer, thanks to the Regione Lazio, the Fondazione Cinema per Roma opens the Arena Forlanini, in the area of the former Roman hospital, with the goal of taking advantage of this location to improve the quality of life in the district. The film screenings are often accompanied by encounters with authors and actors, open to the public.

– Virna Lisi Award: it takes place in November, after the Rome Film Fest, thanks to the collaboration between the Fondazione Musica per Roma and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. The Award, now in its fifth edition and attributed by the Fondazione Virna Lisi, is bestowed upon the best actress of the year. The acknowledgment has been won by Margherita Buy, Paola Cortellesi, Monica Bellucci, Claudia Gerini and Elena Sofia Ricci. Since 2018, the event also includes the awards ceremony for the “Premio Giovani”, the award for the Best Young Actress of the Year, previously won by Ilenia Pastorelli and Ludovica Nasti.

– Festivals, film series and initiatives: the Fondazione Cinema per Roma also organizes festivals, films series and initiatives outside the city and the region, offering a format that has been highly appreciated by the public that includes film previews, award-winning films and documentaries, presentations, meetings with authors and actors. One example is the festival organized in 2019 in collaboration with the City of Vasto, a real festival that lasted five days and attracted 2800 spectators.