ISCHIA GLOBAL 2026
The Festival of Industry and Youth – Research, Development, and Commitment
The 24th Production Summit dedicated to New Scenarios in Film and Audiovisual Supply
From July 12 to 19, opening with a tribute to the legend of Michael Jackson, Tribute to the late producer Clive J. Davis, Celebrating the legacy of Gino Paoli and Ornella Vanoni, Tribute to the life and cinema of Vittorio De Sica.
For its 24th edition, Hollywood returns to the Green Island as the main protagonist. The boom in international productions across the Italian peninsula makes the Global Summer Cinema Event in Ischia increasingly central to the European scene. Promoted under the banner of dialogue, the festival aims to foster the training of new generations, respecting minority inclusion, and preserving the environment.
Featuring free-admission public screenings of 185 titles—including premieres, multi-format audiovisual showcases, and the season’s best films—at Cinema Excelsior in Ischia Porto, Piazza Marina in Casamicciola Terme, and the historic Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno. Plus, a digital lineup available on the Mymovies.it and Eventive.org platforms.
Masterclasses connecting young actors with stars, along with Artist Q&As for constructive dialogue, analysis, and in-depth discussions.
THE GUESTS
(Among the more than 120 talents arriving in the Gulf of Naples)
Directors Jim Sheridan (IRL) and Abel Ferrara (USA), British director and producer Trudie Styler, Oscar winners Nick Vallelonga and Bobby Moresco (USA), and Alessandro Bertolazzi (Chairperson), together with Monica Guerritore (director and actress of the film about Anna Magnani), will lead the large host of stars present on the Green Island.
To date, other significant attendees include actors Gary Stretch (UK), Aarón Díaz (MEX), Ronn Moss (USA), Maurizio Lastrico, Corrado Fortuna, and Fabio Testi, as well as actresses Charlotte Hope (UK), Carolina Guerra (COL), Nicky Whelan (AUS), Lina Sastri, Giulia Bevilacqua, Mariasole Pollio, Julia Charlotte De Rossi, Daniela Scattolin, Fiorenza D’Antonio, Lucianna De Falco, Carolina Signore, and Elisabetta Pellini. Among the directors are Guy Jacobson (USA), Daniel Simpson (USA), Vincent De Paul (USA), Nasim Kiani (USA), Suresh Cedrick Pereira (CAN), Stefan Van De Graaff (UK), Jordan Murphy Doidge (UK), Andrea De Sica, Antonio Silvestre, Daniele Barbiero, Francesco Zippel, Tommaso Renzoni, Christian Filippella, Christian Marazziti, Lorenzo Pullega, Alessandro D’Ambrosi, Valter D’Errico, Luigi Grispello, and Emanuele Gallo. Also attending are British screenwriter Murray Lachlan Young and screenwriter and journalist Carola Caruli, along with emerging talents Alice Maselli, Alice Lucarelli, Adriano Moretti, Ludovica Cutuli, and Sabrina Nasti, and models Alessia Uva, Seyla Zanon, and Maylin Aguirre (Festival Godmother).
The lineup of producers includes Raffaella De Laurentiis, Adam Leipzig (USA), Emir Uyar (TUR), Heidi Jo Merkel (USA), Dessy Tenekedjieva (BUL), Darina Pavlova (BUL), Chris Bongirne (USA), Raquel Baldwin (USA), Francis Chapman (UK), Lindsay Freya Cullen (UK), and Ariel Lavi (ISR), alongside Nicola Claudio (President of Rai Cinema), Maria Pia Ammirati (Head of Rai Fiction), Daniel Frigo (President of Disney Italy), Andrea and Alessandro Cannavale (Run Film), Riccardo Tozzi (Cattleya), Marco Belardi (GreenBoo), Chiara Tilesi, and Raffaella De Tommasi.
Representing the music world are Maestro Riccardo Cocciante, Nicole Slack Jones (USA), Lola Ponce (ARG), Ste, Moustapha Mbengue (SEN), Giordana Angi, Ciccio Merolla, Enzo Dong, Maestro Adriano Pennino and the B-Band, Moreno Conficconi and the Paradise Band, I Quisisona, together with British composer Michael Whittle.
For humanitarian and social engagement, participants include Dario D’Ambrosi and Teatro Patologico, Rosalba Giugni (President of Marevivo), entrepreneur Mauro Monarris (Global Gift Foundation), and UNICEF Ambassador and soprano Delia Noble. Other prominent attendees include Professor Valter Longo, a world-renowned biologist and leader in aging and age-related disease studies, Filippo Puglisi Alibrandi, President of the Los Angeles, Italia Festival and partner at KPMG USA, casting agent Nancy Bishop, acting coach Bernard Hiller, managers Sandro Rubini with American reps Lena Roklin and Ray Costa, agents Gianni Chiffi and Daniele Orazi, and dancers Lucrezia Lando and Samuel Santarelli.
The 24th edition of the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival is promoted by the Accademia Internazionale Arte Ischia with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (DG Cinema e Audiovisivo) and the Campania Region through its Film Commission.
ISCHIA GLOBAL, A NECESSARY BRIDGE
Pascal Vicedomini, Founder and Producer of Ischia Global Festival
“There are summers when celebrating cinema and music cannot be limited to a mere party. The 24th edition of the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival, taking place from July 12 to 19, 2026, comes at a complex moment for the world. For this reason, it aims to reaffirm the most authentic value of culture: creating dialogue, training new generations, and fostering respect for minorities, the environment, and the dignity of every person.
Since 2003, I have carried this project forward alongside the Carriero family, Tony Renis, Franco Nero, Aurelio De Laurentiis, Sting, and Trudie Styler, in fond memory of Lina Wertmüller and Marina Cicogna. Ischia Global has grown to become a natural bridge between Cannes and Venice, connecting Hollywood, Italy, and the new international audiovisual landscape.
This year, the festival features 185 titles selected from over 1,400 submissions worldwide, with free public screenings at Cinema Excelsior in Ischia Porto, Piazza Marina in Casamicciola Terme, Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno, and on Mymovies.it and Eventive.org. Alongside the films, there will be masterclasses, public talks, and the 24th Production Summit dedicated to new scenarios in film and audiovisual supply.
Over 120 talents are expected on the Green Island: Oscar winners, directors, producers, actors, musicians, managers, and young artists. We will pay tribute to the legend of Michael Jackson, the late producer Clive J. Davis, and music icons Gino Paoli and Ornella Vanoni.
In recent years, Ischia has reclaimed its central role in the international imagination—not just as a destination beloved by stars, but as a hub for meetings, discussions, and project development. Today, while everyone talks about artificial intelligence, we continue to reflect on the future of the industry without forgetting that humanity remains the priority: solidarity, peace, and the rejection of bullying, oppression, and all forms of violence.
My thanks go to the institutions, artists, producers, partners, volunteers, and everyone who continues to believe in this adventure. Ischia Global remains a celebration, of course, but also an invitation: to enjoy ourselves, connect, and reflect. Because life is a precious gift, and culture can still help us give it a higher meaning.”
THE STAR OF ISCHIA SHINES BRIGHTER THAN EVER
Oscar winners, movie stars, and leading figures of the Italian scene return in person to meet the public and celebrate the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival from July 12 to 19, 2026. This 24th edition of showbiz’s most anticipated summer event renews—from an Italy experiencing an artistic rebirth—its dialogue with the global entertainment industry. This year, it features a Social Forum dedicated to inter-cultural dialogue, promoting peace, respect for minorities, environmental protection, and standing against all forms of bullying and oppression.
In keeping with the tradition established in 2003, the festival brings top entertainment and cultural figures to the Green Island. Boosting Ischia’s image as a star-studded destination, it offers approximately 185 free screenings selected from over 1,400 submissions via Filmfreeway.com from countries including Iran, Italy, Spain, USA, China, UK, India, France, Turkey, Argentina, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, Iraq, South Korea, Ukraine, Colombia, Germany, Egypt, Australia, Portugal, Venezuela, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Mauritius, Canada, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Thailand, Switzerland, Malaysia, Lebanon, Georgia, Finland, Estonia, Afghanistan, Armenia, Paraguay, Rwanda, Mexico, Austria, Israel, Iceland, Japan, Malta, Slovenia, Jordan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, New Zealand, Uganda, Syria, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belarus, Ireland, Cyprus, and the Faroe Islands. The offerings include premieres, retrospectives, and special evenings held both in local theaters and streaming online via Mymovies.it and Eventive.org (USA).
Founded and produced by Pascal Vicedomini, the event is organized with the Accademia Internazionale Arte Ischia (Honorary President Tony Renis) and supported by MiC’s DG Cinema e Audiovisivo and the Campania Region, alongside Rainbow and Caremar.
THE FILMS
This year’s film lineup is richer than ever, featuring around 185 titles with free admission for the public. Screenings will take place at Cinema Excelsior (Ischia Porto), Piazza Marina (Casamicciola Terme), Villa Arbusto (Lacco Ameno), and online via Mymovies.it and Eventive.org.
World premieres include the Canada-Ireland coproduction The Thrift Store by Suresh Cedrick Pereira, a musical film depicting an innocent love story between two youths spanning decades and two continents, and the Indian film Ladoo by Shailendra Singh. European premieres feature Takht-e Tavoos (Iran) by Shahab Hosseini, the renowned Iranian actor and producer known for his collaborations with director Asghar Farhadi on films like The Salesman (Best Actor at Cannes 2016) and A Separation; Broken Spear (China, Zui Ying Picture), a Chinese wuxia film blending martial arts, adventure, wandering swordsmen, fantasy elements, and a historical setting; and The Finale (Lebanon) by Rodolphe Monzer Chedid, a journey through the memories of an elderly Lebanese couple, navigating repressed recollections and unspoken truths.
Making their Italian debut are the thriller Sentient by Vincent Leroi; Ring of Kibo (USA) by Christian Filippella, Vincent De Paul, and Kimberly Skyrme; the Panama-USA coproduction Espina by Daniel Poler, starring Jonathan Benaim, Aarón Díaz, Paulina Mondragón, and Lola Ponce; One of Us (UK) by Stefan van de Graaff, starring Heartstopper breakout Kit Connor and Charlotte Hope; the comedy Out of Order by Guy Jacobson, starring Brandon Routh (Superman, Dylan Dog), Brooke Shields, Sam Huntington, and Sandra Bernhard; Shakkar by Nasim Kiani, a film on courage and the power of motherhood beyond biology, starring Mehdi Bajestani (Holy Spider); Lunar Sway by Nick Butler, starring Noah Parker, Liza Weil, and Douglas Smith (winner of two awards at Locarno); Woman Unchained (Argentina) by Guadalupe Yepes, a story of female empowerment set against the backdrop of the 1970s military dictatorship in Argentina; and Heval Bırako (Poland) by Numan Yiğit, set during the Rojava Revolution and highlighting the crucial role of the Kurds in the fight against ISIS.
Special screenings feature the documentary Fasting and Longevity Revolution, directed by Barry Alexander Brown, providing a platform for dialogue between Hollywood, science, health, conscious nutrition, and the Mediterranean lifestyle. In addition, top international titles and Oscar winners will be shown, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, box-office hits like David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada 2, Antoine Fuqua’s biopic Michael, Pedro Almodóvar’s Amarga Navidad, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!, and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?.
The Italian cinema showcase features major works from the recent season, including box-office hit Buen Camino by Gennaro Nunziante, David di Donatello winner Le città di pianura by Francesco Sossai, and Nastro d’Argento winner La Grazia by Paolo Sorrentino. Other notable Italian titles are Primavera (Damiano Micheletto), Illusione (Francesca Archibugi), Nel tepore del ballo (Pupi Avati), La Camera di Consiglio (Fiorella Infascelli), Gli occhi degli altri (Andrea De Sica), Breve storia d’amore (Ludovica Rampoldi), Il Dio dell’amore (Francesco Lagi), Benvenuti in campagna (Giambattista Avellino), La gioia (Nicolangelo Gelormini), La lezione (Stefano Mordini), Alla festa della rivoluzione (Arnaldo Catinari), L’oro del Reno (Lorenzo Pullega), La terza volta (Gianni Aureli), RIP (Alessandro D’Ambrosi), Non è la fine del mondo (Valentina Zanella), VAS (Gianmaria Fiorillo), Lovita (Vito Vinci), and Il principe della follia (Dario D’Ambrosi). Comedies include La vita va così (Riccardo Milani), Un bel giorno (Fabio De Luigi), Innamorarsi e altre pessime idee (Simone Aleandri), Notte prima degli esami 3.0 (Tommaso Renzoni), Lo chiamava Rock and Roll (Saverio Smeriglio), and Cena di classe (Francesco Mandelli).
The documentary section is equally rich, featuring Vittorio De Sica – La vita in scena, exploring the life, work, and legacy of one of world cinema’s greatest masters; Attitudini – nessuna, Sophie Chiarello’s doc on the iconic comedy trio Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo; and Rino Gaetano – Sempre più blu, directed by Giorgio Verdelli and dedicated to the legendary late singer-songwriter. The spotlight on Naples includes Gianfranco Rosi’s Sotto le nuvole (an insightful look at the social, geographic, and historical fabric of the metropolitan area), Carlo Puca’s Napoli 2500+10 (celebrating 25 centuries of Neapolitan history), and Francesco Carignani’s La Mostra d’Oltremare (on the decline and rebirth of a city landmark). Finally, social and historical documentaries include Luigi Grispello’s Figlio di Giano (on Rome’s New Year’s Day River Tiber diving tradition) and Paolo Pandin’s Voices of Gaza (featuring eyewitness accounts of life in Gaza before and after October 7).
