Sondrio Festival 2026

40 years of documentary films about parks

📅 Date: 26 to 29 November 2026 (with preview events on 24 and 25 November, and repeat screenings on 30 November)
📍 Venue: Sondrio, Teatro Sociale and Piazza Garibaldi (repeats at Cinema Teatro Excelsior)
🕒 Time: competition screenings on Thursday and Friday at 20:45, Saturday from 11:00, Sunday from 10:45
🎭 Category: Documentary Film Festival / Nature and the environment

Sondrio Festival takes place in Sondrio from 26 to 29 November 2026 and is the International Exhibition of Documentary Films about Parks, with free entry.

The 2026 edition marks 40 years of the festival with four days dedicated to nature. Teatro Sociale hosts the competition screenings, judged by an international jury chaired by Luc Hardy, a photographer, film producer and explorer. Piazza Garibaldi fills up with aquariums, installations, exhibitions and activities for families. The programme blends cinema, science, talks with guests and exploring the local area, from Valtellina to parks around the world.

What the audience can see

Documentaries in competition

There are fourteen documentaries in competition, with stories from Europe to Alaska and from Africa to the Arctic. A few examples:

• 300°C – What happens after a wildfire?: the research follows fungi, insects and plants returning to burned areas between California, Greece and Germany.
• Doñana – The Spanish Garden of Eden: the cycle of the great Spanish wetlands, right up to summer, when drought and heat reveal how fragile the ecosystem is.
• American Amazon – Hidden Forests: ancient flooded forests and wild rivers in the south-east of the United States.
• Wild Philippines – The kingdom of volcanoes: more than 7,500 islands and biodiversity shaped by isolation, volcanoes and the ocean.
• Rangers of the rice paddies: the knights of Italy returning from Africa and nesting in the rice paddies of Ticino.
• Red Sea – The enchanted garden of evolution: one of the most spectacular coral systems on the planet.
• Lord Howe Island – The paradise found: a project to eradicate invasive species and the new threats brought by climate change.
• Let it migrate! LIFEEL, for the protection of the European eel: the scientific and technical challenge of restoring continuity to rivers.
• Balance: in Maremma, the possible coexistence between farming and the wolf.
• The Penguin Bay – Summer get-together in smoking: real penguins on the Crozet Islands.
• The rebirth of the Masai Mara – The beginnings: the nine lesser-known months of the savannah after the great migration.
• Abruzzo – A natural jewel at the heart of Italy. Wild lands: chamois, deer, wolves and mountain birds.
• K'etniyi – The land is talking to us: science and traditional knowledge from the Dena'ina in Lake Clark, in Alaska.
• Frost without snow and ice: more than ten years following a polar bear around Svalbard.

Out of competition, there is also Custodi delle acque – Progetto Teti, a 20-minute documentary produced with A2A and filmed in Lombardy.

Guests

Evenings at Teatro Sociale are enhanced by I salottini di Sondrio Festival, talks with guests from the world of entertainment, science and adventure:

• Fill Pill, stand-up comedian and environmental communicator
• Claudia Gerini, actress and presenter
• Filippo Giorgi, climatologist, former vice-chair of the IPCC (2002–2008) and today director of the Earth Sciences section at ICTP in Trieste
• Sergio Muniz, actor and singer
• Rachele Fogar, model, content creator and TV personality

Gigliola Amonini, the festival’s long-standing voice for 23 years, hosts the opening evening. Licia Colò presents the events from Friday to Sunday. On Sunday, the awards are presented by Licia Colò and Alessandro Antonino.

Piazza Garibaldi

• Freshwater Aquarium, in collaboration with Unione Pesca Sportiva of the Province of Sondrio
• The Palaeo-Aquarium, with two giant models from the sea to the age of dinosaurs, by Simone Maganuco and Davide Bonadonna
• Oculucis, a light-art installation by Hermes Mangialardo, open from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 November
• Immersive fulldome cinema, with screenings every hour (maximum 10 children)
• Interweaving of nature, a space dedicated to the parks in the Province of Sondrio: Parco delle Orobie Valtellinesi, Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio and Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola
• Sentieri d'arte exhibition, curated by Roberta Ceudek, outdoors from 26 to 29 November

Other events and places

• Amphibia, a scientific exhibition with live specimens of amphibians, in Sala Celestino Pedretti (floor -1 of Teatro Sociale), with Emanuele Biggi and Francesco Tomasinelli
• Photo exhibition Scarpatetti by Jim Herrington, internationally renowned portrait photographer, outdoors from 26 to 29 November
• Festival on Ice, with the opening of the ice rink
• Piazza Campello: rock-climbing gym run by the CAI (Teglio and Valtellinese sections of Sondrio) and Alpine Rescue stands
• Castello Masegra: exhibition Mello's Freak Climbers. Val di Mello, la rivoluzione verticale (from 27 November to 31 January 2027) and a visit to the Mineralogical Museum
• Castello Masegra – CAST: photo exhibition The Call of the Mountains by Karl Lehmann, curated by the Museo Olimpia in Brasov (from 26 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, Thursday to Sunday)
• Palazzo Pretorio: mushroom exhibition
• Palazzo Martinengo: Wine Rooms, Saturday and Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00
• La Piccola casa dei racconti di Valtellina, a travelling digital home that tells stories, landscapes, products and identities of the area, as part of the project “Porte aperte al Gusto” by the Distretto del Commercio of Tresivio, Ponte in Valtellina and Chiuro

For families

The Pomeriggi family events offer, every day from Thursday to Sunday, workshops from 14:30 to 17:30 in the Salette of Palazzo Pretorio, run by students from the Saraceno Romegialli institute in Morbegno. On Sunday at 14:45, there is a performance of Cinderella, curated by the Centro di Etica Ambientale: Silvia Felisetti’s voice weaves together with music by Rossini and his contemporaries, performed by the Trio Eccentrico.

Programme

Waiting for the festival 

Tuesday 24 November

• 9.00–12.00: screening of Denis del Pane (2001), a film by Nicola Falcinella based on the novel by Roberto Piumini, performed by students from the middle school in Berbenno (48 minutes)
• 18.00, Biblioteca Pio Rajna: presentation of the books Le vie dei Sogni by Andrea Greci and I giorni dell'alpinismo by Luca Maspes, with the authors and climber Federico Secchi

Wednesday 25 November

• 21.00, Cinema Teatro Excelsior: out-of-competition screening of Sherpa, the documentary by Jennifer Peedom (2015, 90 minutes) filmed during the 2014 avalanche on Everest

Thursday 26 November

• 20.45, Teatro Sociale: opening evening with the Fill Pill lounge
• Followed by: competition documentaries 300°C and Doñana, with a brief interlude on the festival’s 40 years and a word from the founders
• Sweet tastings at the end of the evening, by Dolce Forno

Friday 27 November

• 14.00–19.00: Piazza Garibaldi spaces open
• 15.00 and 15.45, Cinema Excelsior: Il leopardo delle nevi by Oreste Forno (28 minutes) and Energia vitale. A visual journey between Milano and the Alps by Achille Mauri (36 minutes), out of competition
• 16.30 and 17.20, Cinema Excelsior: repeats of 300°C and Doñana
• 17.30, library (BookCity): talk Scrivere in residenza, autrici e lingue a confronto with Catherine Lovey, Flurina Badel and Ruth Gantert
• 18.00, Castello Masegra: opening of the exhibition Mello's Freak Climbers
• 20.45, Teatro Sociale: lounge with Claudia Gerini, hosted by Licia Colò, with Luc Hardy present, then the documentaries American Amazon, Wild Philippines and Rangers of the rice paddies.
• Sweet tastings at the end of the evening

Saturday 28 November

• 11.00, Teatro Sociale: competition documentaries begin with Red Sea
• 14.30: guided tour of the historic centre of Sondrio (starting from the Infopoint in Piazza Campello, duration 1 hour)
• 14.30–16.00: NaturalMENTE with Sergio Muniz, a nature walk and yoga on the walkway (meeting point at Teatro Sociale, booking required)
• 15.00–18.00, Cinema Excelsior: L'avvoltoio fulvo, winner of the first edition of the festival (15.00), followed by repeats of American Amazon (16.00), Wild Philippines (17.00) and Rangers of the rice paddies (18.00)
• 16.00, Teatro Sociale: lounge with Filippo Giorgi
• 17.45, Teatro Sociale: lounge with Sergio Muniz
• 18.00, Hotel della Posta: Aperibook, an aperitif with the author (booking required)
• Following this, Teatro Sociale: competition documentaries Lord Howe Island, Let it migrate! and Balance, plus the out-of-competition screening Custodi delle acque
• 20.45, Teatro Sociale: lounge with Rachele Fogar, the short film La Via del Ferro (4 minutes), then the documentaries The Penguin Bay and The rebirth of the Masai Mara
• Sweet tastings at the end of the evening

Sunday 29 November

• 10.30–17.10, Cinema Excelsior: repeats of Red Sea (10.30), Lord Howe Island (11.30), Let it migrate! (15.00), Balance (15.20), The Penguin Bay (16.15) and The rebirth of the Masai Mara (17.10)
• 10.45, Teatro Sociale: competition documentaries Abruzzo – Wild lands and K'etniyi
• 11.00, Sala Celestino Pedretti: presentation of the photo book Val di Mello. Un anno in cammino sulle tracce della bellezza, with the author Andrea Panighetti and Nicola Falcinella
• 11.00, Caffè della Posta: guided visit to Scarpatetti and talk with the author, with aperitif (booking required)
• 14.30: guided tour of the Fracaiolo district (starting from the Infopoint in Piazza Campello, duration 1 hour)
• 14.45: performance of Cinderella
• 16.00: competition documentary Frost without snow and ice
• 18.00, Teatro Sociale: awards presented by Licia Colò and Alessandro Antonino, with Lightlies as an interlude
• 20.30: screening of the winning documentary, with sweet tastings at the end of the evening

Monday 30 November

• Cinema Teatro Excelsior, repeats: Abruzzo – Wild lands (15.00), K'etniyi (16.00), Frost without snow and ice (17.00)

Frequently asked questions about Sondrio Festival 2026

When does Sondrio Festival 2026 take place?
From 26 to 29 November 2026, with preview events on 24 and 25 November, and repeats on Monday 30 November.

Where is it held?
In Sondrio, at Teatro Sociale and in Piazza Garibaldi. Documentary repeats are at Cinema Teatro Excelsior.

How much does it cost to take part?
Entry is free. Some activities require booking or reservation.

What time do the screenings start?
Thursday and Friday at 20:45, Saturday from 11:00 and Sunday from 10:45, at Teatro Sociale.

Can I watch the documentaries again?
Yes. The repeats take place the following day at Cinema Excelsior, starting from Friday 27 November at 15:00.

Which guests are taking part?
Fill Pill, Claudia Gerini, Luc Hardy, Filippo Giorgi, Sergio Muniz and Rachele Fogar at the lounges. The evenings are hosted by Gigliola Amonini and Licia Colò; the awards are presented by Licia Colò and Alessandro Antonino.

When are the awards?
On Sunday 29 November at 18:00 at Teatro Sociale. At 20:30, the winning documentary is screened.

Are there activities for children and families?
Yes: workshops at the Salette of Palazzo Pretorio from Thursday to Sunday (14:30–17:30), the performance Cinderella on Sunday at 14:45, the immersive fulldome cinema and the ice rink at Festival on Ice.

How do you book the walks around the historic centre?
Guided tours on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November (14:30, Infopoint in Piazza Campello) can be booked via visitasondrio.it.

Which exhibitions can be visited?
Sentieri d'arte in Piazza Garibaldi; Jim Herrington’s photo exhibition outdoors from 26 to 29 November; Mello's Freak Climbers and The Call of the Mountains at Castello Masegra, until 31 January 2027.

How to contact the organisers?
By phone on +39 0342 526260, via WhatsApp on 338 3064153 or by email at info@sondriofestival.it.