19° River Film Festival

4th — 21th June 2025

River staircase of Porta Portello, Padua

The River International Film Festival in Padua – organized by the Researching Movie Cultural Association and supported by the Municipality of Padua, the Veneto Region and the Ministry of Culture – celebrates the richness of the international independent short cinema.

In the suggestive location of Porta Portello, on our floating screen anchored to the waters of the Piovego River, we showcase a selection of works directed by new talents of the contemporary audiovisual scene, with particular attention to emerging cinematography and social and environmental themes. The kaleidoscope of aesthetics, schools and styles that characterizes our programming reflects the fundamental values ​​of the festival:
creativity, freedom, dialogue, inclusiveness and internationalism.

Submit your film

Categories in the competition

There are nine categories in the competition:

  • Italian gazes
  • International Horizons (Fiction)
  • Film Schools
  • Animation
  • Documentaries
  • Queer Shorts
  • Virtual Reality
  • Anthropocene: human rights and climate change
  • Science-fiction and Fantasy
Submit your film

Besides the cinema

Concerts with popular artists or with less known collectives and emerging talents, talks and training on Virtual Reality, Q&A, art exhibitions, conferences and initiatives created on the occasion of major events, enrich the Festival.

Giuseppe Tornatore

Italian Director

“The location of the River Film Festival is truly original. Projecting the films in competition on the waters of a river gives precisely the idea of a young and ever-evolving event that also knows how to look at the signs of the past.”

David Sassoli

Former President of the European Parliament

“I particularly appreciated this initiative, which aims to promote, through film, European values such as social cohesion, tolerance and conviviality between peoples.

The festival is a nice opportunity to highlight the creativity and filmmaking talent of young European artists. It also contributes to the enhancement of the Portello district in Padua, which has acquired a good reputation over time thanks to this cultural event.”

The participants

“

How yo put it. This was a super great experience to be selected by River Film Festival. We received the honorable mention. Hospitality, quality of films and the venue is really splendid, on the river bank with a great story how this place was re-discovered again. I met friends there and I will never forget it. Submit your films! Truelly!

Rafał MałeckiDirector (by FilmFreeWay)
“

The screening is very well organized with the constant interest of the citizens in the festival. The very original placement of the screen - among the river - and the seating on the ancient stairs while watching the films, gave a very special feeling. The RiFF is genuinely one of the key cultural events of the city. The films selected for the screening were of high quality. The organizer's team is very friendly and professional.

Vremya NataliaDirector (by FilmFreeWay)
“

we are very glad to be part of this amazing festival with our "Nuovo Cinema Para-Virus"! thank you so much!

Daniele PignatelliDirector (by FilmFreeWay)

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