Malescorto 2026: rules published for the 26th edition of the International Short Film Festival

Malescorto 2026 opens its doors with the publication of the new regulations and the opening of registration for pre-selection: the International Short Film Festival is preparing for its 26th edition. From July 20 to 25, 2026, the small town of Malesco, in Valle Vigezzo (Italy), will once again be transformed into a stage dedicated to short films.

The Festival, now a hub for filmmakers from around the world, is once again inviting directors, producers, distributors, film schools, and independent authors to submit their short films by January 9, 2026, and compete for a position in the 2026 Official Selection.

Registration for the pre-selection is free and can be submitted by filling out the form available, along with the complete rules, at https://www.malescorto.it/regolamento?lang=en.

The films, with a maximum duration of 20 minutes, can be sent via video link (Vimeo, YouTube) or file sharing services (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, and similar).

The Artistic Direction will evaluate the short films received for inclusion in the Official Selection, whose films in competition will be screened at Cinema Comunale in Malesco from Tuesday, July 21 to Friday, July 24, 2026.

Following the great success of the 25th edition, which marked the beginning of a phase of growth and increased visibility for the Festival, relaunching it and propelling it towards increasingly challenging and exciting horizons, Malescorto confirms its international appeal and the quality of its film selection year after year. In 2026, works from all continents will once again be considered, with the aim of bringing new stories and innovative languages to the audience.

Jury and Awards

The short films in competition will be evaluated by a technical jury composed of professionals from the film and cultural fields, who will award the Malescorto 2026 prizes:

• Malescorto 2026 Grand Prize (€1,000), awarded to the best short film overall.

• “TrasmettereArchitettura” Award 2026 (€400), offered by the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects, and Conservators of the provinces of Novara and Verbano Cusio Ossola.

• 2026 “Associazione Musei dell'Ossola” Award (€200), offered by the association of the same name as part of the Interreg “Di-Segnare” project.

• 2026 Audience Award, awarded by the audience present in theaters during the Festival evenings.

The Award Ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Cinema Comunale in Malesco, with the screening of the winning short films.

Photo from Malescorto 2025

Malescorto Spin-Off

In 2026, the Festival will continue to expand its Spin-Off calendar, with a series of related events dedicated to promoting short films throughout the year. Among the new features of this edition, the following are particularly noteworthy:

• Insubria in Corto 2026, an event dedicated to films from the Insubrica region.

• MaleScuola 2026, a review dedicated to the dissemination of short films in schools, with three new competitive sections: MalesKids, MaleSchool, and MalesCollege, which will involve students of all school levels as jurors and protagonists.

Download the new 2026 regulations HERE: https://www.malescorto.it/regolamento?lang=en