International Film FestivalCinema,
at its purest.
Drop by drop,
frame by frame.
Good cinema, like good whiskey, can't be rushed.
Movie Distillers is an international festival dedicated to independent cinema and its craft.
A film, like a fine spirit, begins as raw material. It takes time, patience and skilled hands to refine it: frame after frame, cut after cut, everything unnecessary falls away, until only the pure essence is left.
Once a year we bring these films together from across the world, to celebrate cinema in all its forms and the new voices that bring it to life.
What we
hand out.
For the strongest international (non-Italian) feature.
For the best international (non-Italian) short film.
For the best film up to five minutes.
For the best medium-length film.
For the best Italian film, any length.
For the best feature documentary.
For the best short documentary.
For the best animated film.
For the most promising first-time director.
The film that best embodies the spirit of Movie Distillers.
Genres are awarded regardless of length: features and shorts compete together.
One award per craft, regardless of length.
Nominations will be judged by a special jury.
Winning films will be presented at an annual live event in a cinema in Lombardy, Italy. Venue and date will be announced.
Your hosts.
Multi-award-winning filmmaker, producer and screenwriter.
Multi-award-winning filmmaker, producer and screenwriter.
Distill your movie.
The festival takes place in June 2027, with an annual live event in Italy. Submissions for the inaugural edition open soon on FilmFreeway. Drop us a line to be notified.
Submit
House rules.
Eligibility requirements
Movie Distillers accepts films from all countries and in all genres, with a special focus on independent cinema and genre filmmaking. Works must be completed films. Micro shorts run from 0 to 5 minutes, short films from 5 to 25, medium-length films from 25 to 50, and features, documentaries and other films from 50 minutes, credits included. Films may be in any language; non-English language films must include English subtitles. The festival accepts fiction, horror, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, drama, comedy, action, crime, mystery, western, experimental, animation, documentary, and other genre-based or independent films. It is open to first-time filmmakers, students, and established professionals. There is no premiere requirement, and we accept films released on or after 1 January 2025. Submissions must be made through FilmFreeway only. Films that do not meet the eligibility requirements may be disqualified.
Submission rules
By submitting a film, the submitter confirms that they are the rightful owner of the work or have obtained all necessary permissions from the rights holders, that they are authorized to submit the film, and that they accept full responsibility for the content submitted, with the consent of all relevant rights holders, cast, crew and third parties involved. Each director may submit only one film, though that film may compete in more than one category where applicable. The entry fee is non-refundable, and submission does not guarantee selection, nomination or an award.
Categories
Filmmakers should submit their film under the category they feel best represents it. Once submitted, each film is eligible to compete for all awards for which it qualifies, regardless of the category chosen. The festival selectors reserve the right to move a film to a more appropriate category if necessary.
Selection process
Movie Distillers follows a three-stage structure. Official Selection: all eligible films are reviewed by the festival team and/or screening committee, and the strongest works are chosen as Official Selections. Final Nominations: among the Official Selections, the most outstanding films in each category are announced as the final nominations; each category has five nominations, forming the official shortlist. Final Awards: from the nominated films, the winners are selected by a special jury of guests and professionals, with category-specific members chosen for their expertise. The festival places strong importance on genre cinema and on the creative contribution of every department: judging takes into account overall impact as well as the quality of each craft element, including writing, direction, performances, photography, editing, sound, production and costume design, and every other department that gives a film its soul. All decisions made by the festival and jury are final.
Final jury and category judges
Movie Distillers gives special importance to each department and to the craftsmanship behind every film. For this reason, the final awards are determined with the support of judges chosen for their professional background and their connection to the field being judged. Different categories may be reviewed by different jurors or guest judges, so that each film and each department receives fair, informed and specialized consideration. The festival may also invite filmmakers, professionals and industry guests to assist in the final award decisions. The specialist judges for each category will be announced soon, ahead of the first edition.
Awards and prizes
Official Selections, Final Nominations and Winners may receive digital laurels and festival recognition. Final winners may receive an official Winner Laurel, a digital certificate, personalized category recognition, a public announcement on the festival's official channels, and an optional social media spotlight and interview at the festival's discretion. Some editions may also include special mentions, honorable mentions and additional recognitions for films that strongly reflect the spirit of the festival. Selected films and winners may be featured on the festival website and social media channels, and the festival decides which materials are published and how.
Festival structure
Movie Distillers is not an online festival. At the end of each year it holds one live screening event in Bergamo, Italy, dedicated to the most important award winners and their plaques or trophies. Only selected award-winning films are invited to this final in-person event, and the festival decides which films are included; not all selections are necessarily screened in person. By submitting, the filmmaker agrees that, if selected, the film may be screened in Bergamo as part of the annual celebration.
Screening permission and promotional use
By submitting, the submitter grants the festival the right to use trailers, teasers, posters, stills, excerpts and other promotional materials from the film for festival-related communication and promotion. The festival may also request permission to publish clips online for promotional purposes. If additional screening or promotional permissions are requested, the submitter agrees to cooperate in good faith and provide the materials within the given timeframe.
Rights and responsibility
By submitting, the filmmaker confirms they hold all necessary rights to the work, including, where applicable, image rights, performance rights, music and soundtrack rights, archive material rights, third-party material rights and any other rights required for exhibition and promotion. The submitter is fully responsible for ensuring the film does not infringe any third-party rights, and any claim or dispute regarding the work lies entirely with the submitter. The submitter agrees to hold harmless the festival, its directors, staff, jurors, collaborators and partners from any claim, damage, cost or liability arising from the submission, screening, promotion or use of the film's materials.
Subtitles and technical requirements
All non-English language films must include English subtitles. If a film is selected for the final live screening in Bergamo, the festival may request a projection-ready file in the required cinema format, to be provided in the correct format and within the deadline. The festival reserves the right to reject files that do not meet technical standards or cannot be screened properly.
Communication
All official communication is sent to the email address provided through FilmFreeway. It is the submitter's responsibility to ensure the address is valid and regularly monitored. The festival is not responsible for missed notifications due to spam filters, incorrect addresses or unread messages. If selected, the submitter may be asked to confirm participation, provide additional materials and respond within the stated deadline; failure to respond may result in exclusion from further consideration.
Refunds and fees
All entry fees are non-refundable and are used to support the organization, administration, curation and running of the festival. The festival does not reimburse travel, accommodation, shipping or any other expense, including for the live event in Bergamo, and is not obligated to provide screening fees, appearance fees or any financial compensation unless explicitly stated in writing.
Disqualification and festival rights
The festival may disqualify any entry at any stage if false information has been submitted, the film does not meet eligibility requirements, rights or permissions are disputed or unclear, the technical material is unsuitable, or the work violates festival rules or platform policies. The festival may also change, update, postpone, reschedule or modify any part of its structure, categories, deadlines, screenings or awards for organizational, technical or artistic reasons. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the decisions of the festival, the screening committee or the jury.
Acceptance of terms
By submitting to Movie Distillers, the applicant confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Rules & Terms in full, and that they are authorized to submit the film and grant the permissions described above. Submission implies full acceptance of the festival's rules, procedures, jury decisions and final determinations. If the applicant does not agree with any part of these terms, they should not submit the film.
