Trento Film Festival meets the future: a bridge between generations in dialogue
Published 01/04/2026
130 films and 150 events are scheduled for the 74th edition, which presents itself as a place set aside for listening, exchanging ideas and dialogue between generations, bearing witness to the handover.
President Leveghi: “In an era relentlessly focused on the present, Trento Film Festival has chosen a ‘stubborn and contrary’ approach”: we persist in reflecting on the past and studying the present in order to imagine the future”.
In a world where conflict seems to prevail, Trento Film Festival seeks to make its contribution to dialogue and the exchange of ideas, not just between men and women of different nationalities and cultures, but also between generations, reflecting on the underlying significance of passing on the torch. It does so, as always, using the universal languages of film, literature, music and art to tell the story of the world’s highest lands and the indissoluble bond between the mountains and human communities. From 24 April to 3 May, Trentino’s main city is therefore preparing to host the 74th edition of the Trento Film Festival, with 130 films and 150 scheduled events, along with 100 additional events in the T4Future section, dedicated to the younger generation.
The programme for this year’s edition was unveiled today in Milan during a press conference held at the Cinemino in Via Seneca, attended by Mauro Leveghi, President of Trento Film Festival, Angelo Schena, cultural representative of Antonio Montani, General President of Club Alpino Italiano, Luana Bisesti, Festival Director, and Mauro Gervasini, responsible for the film programme. Elisabetta Bozzarelli, Councillor for Culture and Deputy Mayor of the city, was present to represent the Municipality of Trento, a Festival partner.
“In an era relentlessly focused on the present, Trento Film Festival has chosen a ‘stubborn and contrary’ approach, to quote one of Italy’s greatest singer-songwriters, Fabrizio De Andrè. We persist in reflecting on the past and studying the present in order to imagine the future. From 24 April to 3 May, we will offer our public a space marked by freedom and critical thinking. At a time that appears more uncertain than we could have foreseen, our goal remains to stimulate questions and cultivate doubts, the only true driving force behind genuine awareness”, stated President Mauro Leveghi. “2026 has also been designated as a global appointment of great significance for the mountains: the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, proclaimed by the United Nations to highlight the contribution of livestock farmers to sustainable agri-food systems and climate resilience. Trento Film Festival has always been at the forefront regarding these issues. We can proudly recall the Golden Gentian awarded two years ago to Louis Hanquet’s Un pasteur, chronicling a courageous existential choice in the face of the challenges posed by climate change and the return of large carnivores. Furthermore, in this edition, no fewer than eight films explore the theme of alpine farming, a fundamental activity for mountain ecosystems all over the world.”
“Trento Film Festival is one of the world’s most important and eagerly awaited events dedicated to mountain film. Each year it brings together leading figures not only from the film industry, but also from the worlds of mountaineering, culture, publishing and theatre, to discuss the most pressing and topical issues affecting mountain areas” stated Angelo Schena, cultural representative of Antonio Montani, General President of Club Alpino Italiano. “For CAI, film and literature are fundamental tools for spreading knowledge and respect for the mountains. Among the many events, we will be presenting an evening dedicated to ‘The Paths of Dreams’, a collective account of Italian mountaineering now and in the future, recounted by ten of the most brilliant figures on the contemporary mountaineering scene. There will also be a strong focus on a project close to our hearts: ‘Oltre la vetta’ (Beyond the Summit), the Club Alpino Italiano’s video podcast, which offers a necessary and unprecedented discussion of grief, trauma and mental health in mountain communities. Another key event will be the screening of the film ‘Bianco’, supported and sponsored by Club Alpino Italiano, which recounts the historic and dramatic attempt by Walter Bonatti and his companions to scale the then-unclimbed central pillar of the Frêney”.
As takes place every year, the festival will welcome a large number of guests, with literary presentations – it is worth noting that MontagnaLibri celebrates its fortieth edition this year – as well as special evening events, talks in the town’s squares and open-air activities. All eyes will be on the mountaineers Simon Messner and Aleš Česen, who have followed in their parents’ footsteps, as well as world ice climbing champion Ines Papert, all three participating in the New Generations, New Approaches evening event. Another eagerly awaited evening dedicated to mountaineering, The Paths of Dreams, will feature, among others, Stefano Ragazzo and Silvia Loreggian, a successful couple on both the rock face and in everyday life, along with François Cazzanelli, from Val d’Aosta, one of the most talented mountaineers of his generation. The journalist and writer Paolo Mieli will be the guest at the ITAS Mountain Book Award prizegiving ceremony, while the journalist Federico Quaranta will speak at the opening ceremony. The writer Mauro Corona will take part in a unique conversation with his daughter Marianna, a writer like her father, while the actor Andrea Pennacchi will come to the Festival for the Forest Beasts event, presenting an ecological storytelling ballad about our relationship with biodiversity. Furthermore, explorers Alex Bellini and KIM Young-mi, will join forces for an evening brimming with adventure, hosted by Hervé Barmasse. The Korean explorer, a member of this year’s international jury, was the first woman to complete a solo crossing of Antarctica, covering 1,700 kilometres in 69 days. Finally, art historian Jacopo Veneziani and humanist hospitality expert Michil Costa will join up to discuss cultural themes that recognise the mountains as a topic capable of bringing humanity and nature together, restoring balance to a relationship that is becoming increasingly jaded.
“Rather than a static witness to the passage of time, the Festival has always aimed to be a living organism, interpreting the legacy of the past as a fire to be kept alight and constantly nourished, passed down from generation to generation”, explained Festival Director Luana Bisesti. “However, never before has the theme of generational transition featured so prominently across the programme as in this edition. It is not merely a cosmetic change, a reshuffling of names, or an inconsequential nod to a younger audience. On the contrary, it is a commitment to honouring the original mission of the Festival, an event that since 1952 has always sought to foster dialogue between those who charted the paths and those who seek to follow and reinvent them, year after year”.
The events in the T4Future section are aimed specifically at younger visitors: a programme of screenings, workshops and activities designed to foster media literacy and promote issues related to sustainable development, environmental protection and active citizenship education, in cooperation with several local organisations. There are over 100 events in the programme, many of which are part of the National Plan for Visual Literacy in Schools promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Merit. Furthermore, with a new initiative this year, T4Future is offering an extensive programme of animated films at cinemas, designed specifically for younger audiences.
As already revealed in the last few months, the highly popular section Destination… turns its gaze towards the east, focusing on South Korea, a country that for some time has been at the heart of an extraordinary revolution, leading to the establishment of a star system and a generation of filmmakers of the highest calibre in a short space of time.
“A festival that has been running since 1952 is not merely part of Trento’s heritage, but also a cornerstone of Italy’s cultural landscape: I say this with pride, but above all with the awareness that thanks to the festival, our city can be nominated as a global capital for reflection on the future of the mountains. It is a free space, as President Leveghi has often said, which does not seduce the public with easy, ready-made answers, but spurs them on to question their own certainties and find new perspectives and visions,” concluded the Councillor for Culture and Deputy Mayor of Trento, Elisabetta Bozzarelli.
From today, the full programme is available at the website www.trentofestival.it .
