Vertical Movie Festival 2026 – 9th Edition
Vertical Movie Festival is an international film festival dedicated exclusively to vertical cinema (9:16), created to celebrate innovation, experimentation, and new audiovisual languages.
The festival invites filmmakers from all over the world to submit short films created specifically in vertical format.
Main Award
The Overall Winner will receive a professional digital cinema camera:
Canon EOS C50
(value: €3,800)
offered by Canon, Technical Sponsor of the festival.
Festival Dates & Venue
Rome, Italy – Casa del Cinema
September 30 – October 2, 2026
Competition Sections
* Vertical Green
* Vertical Voices
* Vertical AI
* Vertical Open
Technical Requirements
* Maximum duration: 10 minutes (credits excluded)
* Format: Vertical 9:16
* Accepted resolutions:
* 1080 × 1920 (Full HD)
* 2160 × 3840 (4K)
* or higher
* Accepted formats: MP4 / MOV
* Codec: H.264 / H.265
Films may be shot with any device, including smartphones, cameras, or professional cinema cameras.
Submission Deadline
August 31, 2026
Student Entries
Free submission for film students
(valid student ID may be required)
New for 2026
Vertical Talent – Powered by Canon
A special out-of-competition section for filmmakers residing in Italy, dedicated to the development of new vertical film projects.
