Focus on the inaugural Hallelujah Film Festival 2025 running
December 6/13, 2025
“Hallelujah Film Festival – International Peace Symposium” – December 6/13, 2025 - aims to promote peace and dialogue among different cultures and religions through cinema and audiovisual media, exchanges between prominent figures from international culture and society, conferences, and masterclasses for the benefit of young people.
The first edition of the Festival will take place in Castel Gandolfo and other sites of artistic and touristic interest in the Castelli Romani region. The main goal is to convey a message — now more relevant than ever — of encounter between cinematic, musical, and theatrical excellence from different backgrounds and faiths, promoting a more humane and peaceful vision of the world.
The event, which will involve prominent figures from national and international spiritual communities, will use the Seventh Art (film screenings, fiction, documentaries, and short films) as a tool for awareness, able of reaching millions of people around the world, inviting reflection on major ethical issues. Moreover, the initiative will emphasize the value of dialogue and foster international networks for cross-border cooperation.
A strong focus will be placed on young people, with education in respect for others at its core.
In a world deeply marked by conflict, inequality, and socio-political tensions, peace cannot be taken for granted, but must be built day by day. Among the most effective tools for fostering dialogue and peace are the arts and culture in general — and cinema and music in particular.
Awards & Prizes
1) Youth Award
2) Hallelujah Award – to a figure who has promoted peace and dialogue in the world
Rules & Terms
1) Hallelujah Film Festival will be held physically and online
2) The activities of Hallelujah Film Festival 2025 are divided into two sections:
- Italian Talents: A selection of national feature, documentary and short films about peace, spirituality, brotherhood among peoples that were premiered or distributed in movie theatres and/or platform on streaming from January 1, 2025, to November 30, 2025
- International Artists: A selection of feature, documentary and short films from all over the world about peace, spirituality, brotherhood among peoples, which were premiered or distributed in movie theatres and/or platform from January 1, 2025, to November 30, 2025.
3) The work movie has to be "Original" and hasn't competed in any other Local Festival. In addition to the Original movies accepted by the Selection Board, a few Non-Original will be directly chosen as a Special Guest-Competitors of the Festival. In any case, the Organizing Committee will not pay any fees to the rights owners of any movie selected for the competition.
4) The selection at the Festival doesn't include any kind of hospitality
5) The screening of the movies will be totally free of charge to all the viewer
4) The list of films selected will be communicated by email to the participants.
5) Who registers on behalf of the latter is personally responsible for the content of the works they register.
6) The works are exclusively and unquestionably selected by the Scientific Board of Artists' Club Italia Association with the support of international luminaries who are chosen by the Association’s panel and who provide full support to the event.
7) Italian works that have aroused international interest will be presented to the Scientific Academy and the audience with English subtitles.
8) Foreign films will be presented in their original version and with Italian subtitles.
9) The copies of the selected films to be screened in the theatres must be in DCP format and be received by the General Office of the Festival, in Rome, not later than November 15, 2025, in compliance with the instructions provided by the Planning Department. Any shipping costs of the selected films are charged to the participants. The shipping from, non-EU countries, must be accompanied by the item "no commercial value - for cultural purpose only ". Film copies will be returned to their owners not later than December 30, 2025.
10) The copies of the selected films to be screened in the platforms must be in mov or mp4 file format with .srt file attached containing English or Italian subtitles and be received by the General Office of the Festival by email not later than December 20, 2025, in compliance with the instructions provided by the Planning Department.
11) The Films must be free from any overwriting and/or screening.
12) Together with a copy of the film, the Festival should be received a press book with the technical and artistic information of the film, photos, and trailer, that the Festival can be published on the website and on the social network of the event.
13) A brochure will be published with the general information of the program.
14) The screenings’ calendar and timetable will be made known by the Festival Management not later than December 20, 2025. The Festival organization is not responsible for any changes due to unexpected reasons (climate conditions, technical issues, artists’ attendance at the festival, etc.). The official program will be printed and made available by the Festival Management which will provide information about any unexpected changes on the website www.artistsclubitalia.com
15) All the works will be insured against any type of risk that may cause damage to the copies, including their loss or theft. The insurance policy is entered by Associazione Artists' Club Italia and covers the period during which the properties are in possession of the Festival. In case a copy is lost or damaged, the responsibility of the Festival will be limited to the value of its reprint according to current Italian fees.
16) The works presented will be selected and assessed according to the unquestionable judgment of the Artists' Club Italia Association.
17) The Scientific Board has the competence and right to assess the works and award them.
18) Applications filed with the aim of taking part in the Sorrento Film Contest imply full acceptance of the present regulations.
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