Onirica film festival 2026

Now in its fifth edition, the Onirica Film Festival
—an international independent film festival dedicated to the theme of dreams and oneiric experiences
—announces its collaboration with the Accademia Cinema Toscana of Lucca for the 2026 edition, scheduled for September 3 and 4 at the Nuovo Cinema Garibaldi in Carrara (Via Verdi 15C, Carrara, MS).

This year's new addition isn't just the awards ceremony: for the first time, the festival will span two days and become a cultural hub open to the public, featuring a marathon of screenings of the finalist films, workshops and masterclasses led by Accademia Cinema Toscana professors and professionals, and the final Award Giving Evening, where a jury of experts will award the prizes to the winning films of this new edition.

Founded in 2019 by Alessio Bonini—a visual artist and founder of the Art Hub association—the Onirica Film Festival began as a film club and has since evolved into an international festival showcasing short films, animations, documentaries, music videos, and experimental works, including productions created with artificial intelligence.

The underlying theme is cinema as an exploration of the unconscious: the dream not as a simple narrative theme, but as a space for aesthetic, emotional, and critical research.

In previous editions, the festival has attracted over 700 submissions from around the world; last year's edition attracted more than 200 attendees. "It's not just about telling stories. It's about imagining new forms of being.

About dreaming another way of seeing. About giving substance to the invisible."

Alessio Bonini, founder and artistic director of the Onirica Film Festival.

Accademia Cinema Toscana was founded in 2014 from the experience of 9 Muse, a leading organization in artistic training and audiovisual production in Tuscany.

Based in Lucca, the Academy trains film, theater, and audiovisual professionals through a three-year program with a strong practical focus. Each year, students produce between 40 and 50 works—documentaries, short films, and TV series pilots—which are selected and screened at national and international festivals.

The organization currently has approximately 300 students, 70 faculty members, and four locations, including a career center dedicated to professional placement. Director, writer, and producer Emiliano Galigani leads the program, whose educational approach is based on the concept of a "contemporary workshop": a place where faculty, professionals, and students work side by side, learning from shared experience.

Accademia Cinema Toscana's entry into the Onirica ecosystem responds to a specific need: to combine the spectacular aspect of the festival with an educational component and direct feedback.

Every year, the Academy trains future filmmakers—directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and editors—and their works tour international festivals seeking a space for real exchange.

Onirica is precisely that space: a physical place where independent cinema meets audiences in all its authenticity. The workshops and masterclasses scheduled for the two days will offer audiences

—enthusiasts, novices, and professionals—practical tools for approaching filmmaking, in dialogue with directors from around the world attending the event.

This is a type of cinema that isn't measured by box office numbers or the hype of mainstream distribution, but rather lives in the passion that permeates the works, in the power of looking beyond, and in the direct relationship between creators and viewers.

Tickets for the Award Giving Evening are available on Eventbrite.it. The workshops, masterclasses, and screenings are free.

Practical Information Onirica Film Festival Fifth Edition September 3 and 4, 2026 Nuovo Cinema Garibaldi, Via Verdi 15C, 54033 Carrara (MS)

Tickets for the Award Giving Evening: Eventbrite.it Workshops/masterclasses and screenings:

www.oniricafilmfestival.com www.accademiacinematoscana.it

The events takes place: NUOVO CINEMA GARIBALDI Via Verdi, 15C, Carrara MS 54033 (MS)

Entrance for this event is subject to charges a partire da 3,00€

Further info about tickets:
Ticket office Website

Alessandra De Feo
Phone: +39 3314142786
Visit the Event organizer website

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