Aquileia Film Festival Concludes 17th Edition with Record 15,000 Attendees

The 17th edition of the Aquileia Film Festival concluded on August 4, 2026, drawing a record-breaking audience of over 15,000 physical and virtual attendees. Organized by Fondazione Aquileia, the event gathered 5,200 spectators in Piazza Capitolo and 10,238 unique online viewers from countries like the US, Brazil, and Turkey. The audience-voted Premio Aquileia 2026 went to the documentary 'L'Impero Assiro – La storia rivelata'. The festival also prioritized inclusivity, implementing real-time transcriptions and the Earcatch app for sensory-impaired viewers.

Film Festival attendance records

• ▪The 17th edition of the Aquileia Film Festival recorded 5,200 physical spectators in Piazza Capitolo and 10,238 unique online streaming users.
• ▪The 17th edition of the Aquileia Film Festival concluded on August 4, 2026, drawing a record total of over 15,000 physical and virtual attendees.

Documentary programming selection

• ▪The Aquileia Film Festival screened the documentary 'Quello che resta' by Marco D'Agostini, which focuses on community rituals in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
• ▪The 17th edition of the Aquileia Film Festival featured a programming selection of ten films and twelve cultural guests across eight event nights.

Audience Prize winner

• ▪The documentary 'L'Impero Assiro – La storia rivelata' won the audience-assigned Premio Aquileia 2026 at the Aquileia Film Festival.
• ▪The award-winning documentary 'L'Impero Assiro – La storia rivelata' details the archaeological mission of the University of Udine in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Accessibility features implementation

• ▪The Aquileia Film Festival provided subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and audiodescriptions for blind and visually impaired viewers via the Earcatch app.
• ▪The Aquileia Film Festival implemented a real-time transcription service to make its guest conversations accessible to all attendees.