Italian film festivals remain a pillar for the cultural offerings and the circulation of non-mainstream works, but they are currently operating in an increasingly complex context, characterised by funding delays, organisational downsizing and a structural transformation of the overall festival experience.

These are the latest findings of the research paper, SalaFestival. L’alternativa per il territorio, presented last week by the AFIC – Association of Italian Film Festivals in league with Ergo Research, with the support of Cinetel/CinExpert and the Italian University Film Consultation. Now in its third year, the study looks to analyse the relationship between festivals, regions and movie theatres, providing a comprehensive overview of the system.

According to CinExpert/Cinetel data, in the period running February 2025 to January 2026, festivals secured approximately 1.84 million views for feature films, equating to 2.7% of overall tickets sold, which is a drop of 13% on last year. It’s a finding which should be interpreted in the context of a wider contraction of festival activities whilst also taking into account the fragmented nature of this particular offer, which has seen patchy distribution over the past year.

Young audiences nevertheless remain central to the festival system: the under 35s generate 57% of festival viewings, with 15-24-year-olds claiming an impressive 32% all to themselves. At the same time, out of a total potential pool of 27.6 million Italian viewers who were active between 2021 and 2025, roughly 2.5 million enjoyed at least one festival experience during the post-pandemic period.

One of the most significant findings to emerge from this research relates to the regional role of festivals. Over 30% of festivals bring films to areas which aren’t equipped with designated cinema spaces, or to specially adapted alternative spaces, confirming the role of these events as a means for widespread access to culture.

As highlighted by the research, roughly one third of the spaces used by festivals are not traditional cinemas but temporary or hybrid locations. This phenomenon reinforces the idea of festivals as platforms for “alternative distribution”, which can showcase films – documentaries, animation, independent works – which are often excluded from commercial circuits.

Whilst, on the one hand, cultural offerings stand strong, clear signs of downsizing are undoubtedly emerging: 37% of festivals report having to reduce their activities to remain within budget, which has a direct impact on staff, not to mention festival duration and hospitality.

On average, festivals have lost 1.4 days of programming, while the number of people involved in the organisational phase has fallen by 12%. Volunteers remain an essential component of festival teams, accounting for almost half the total workforce during these events.

It should be noted, however, that downsizing has not resulted in any reductions in content: on average, festivals showcase 66 titles and host upwards of 70 screenings, although they have reported a drop in attendees for each individual edition (from roughly11,000 to less than 8,000 average viewers).

By contrast, the number of collateral events – meetings with film talent, social activities, workshops – is on the rise, totalling on average over 30 per festival (up 18%), and this increase is helping to redefine the experience as increasingly “extensive” and relationship focused.

Another salient trend relates to access modes. Free festivals continue to dominate the market: 57% of film gatherings offer free access without prior registration, which is a considerable increase on the previous year.

Whilst it’s true that this approach broadens participation, it also raises questions around financial sustainability and festivals’ abilities to retain their audiences, especially in the absence of structured registration systems. There has, however, been a slight decrease in the number of hybrid festivals (unfolding in person and online), with 72% of events once again favouring the movie-theatre experience.

But the key issue here revolves around funding. The study highlights widespread delays in the distribution of public funds, especially from the Ministry of Culture: over 40% of festivals report postponements of funding worth over 50% of their planned budgets and are often left waiting upwards of six months.

These uncertainties have a direct impact on the planning and sustainability of festivals, forcing organisers to adopt conservative strategies and to continually work to strike an ongoing balance between quality and available resources.

“The Italian festival system is presenting itself to the outside world with this research of undeniable analytical value”, enthused AFIC president and artistic director of the Pesaro Film Festival Pedro Armocida, who stressed how festivals continue to support a substantial percentage of film viewings and strengthen the bond between audiences, regions and cinemas.

Against this backdrop, Italian festivals are confirming their ability to adapt, maintaining a wide and diversified cultural offering despite challenging conditions. However, a picture is emerging of a resilient but pressured system where future sustainability is increasingly dependent on the stability of funding and the ability to devise innovative organisational models in order to secure audience loyalty.