Trieste hosts science and fiction festival

From 3 to 8 November, the city of Trieste will host the 26th edition of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, an event that blends cinema, science, and reflections on societal changes. The festival will feature over 60 premieres, including world, international, and national debuts.

Festival highlights include new films

The festival includes the Silver Méliès competition, organized in partnership with the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), which focuses on European fantastic feature films. Selected titles include The Squirrel by Finnish director Markus Lehmusruusu, which will open the festival, and The Alice Paradox by William Brooke, a sci-fi noir about a scientist discovering a temporal wormhole.

Additional films explore diverse themes

Other films in the competition include Nella morsa del ghiaccio by Lukas Rinker, a survival thriller about passengers trapped in an avalanche, and Saligia by Petar Ristovski, a thriller about seven strangers with lost memories facing their sins. Additional titles include BlackFlag by Marco Bolognesi and Rain Catcher by Michele Fiascaris.

New filmmakers showcased in Asteroide competition

The Asteroide competition, which highlights emerging filmmakers, features Sanctuary by Filip Kovačević, a post-apocalyptic story about a human settlement resorting to human sacrifice. The international jury for the Asteroide Award is chaired by Paolo Strippoli, director of Italy’s 2027 Oscar candidate The Spiral.

Special events and masterclasses included

The festival also includes the New Italian Nightmares masterclass, featuring Strippoli, which will explore horror’s subversive potential. Out-of-competition screenings will include Welcome to G-Town by Nathan & Ben McQuaid and ZsaZsa Zaturnnah by Avid Liongoren, based on Carlo Vergara’s graphic novel.

Documentaries and closing film announced

The Mondofuturo section includes documentaries such as Jason’s Box by Michael Strassburger on reforestation in Greenland and Like Any Other Mortal by María Molina Peiró on mining and Mars exploration. The festival will close with Bucking Fastard by Werner Herzog.