40th edition

IL CINEMA RITROVATO 

[ BOLOGNA 20-28 JUNE 2026 ]

download the catalogue go to the Programme

This year marks an edition unlike any other

More than 500 films, 8 venues throughout the city, 9 days of shared cinematic passion. Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival turns 40!

It will be our XL (40th) edition, and X-large it will be in the abundance of films on offer. This very special edition, running from June 20 to 28, will strike a delicate balance between glamour and ecstasy, commitment and struggle; between dream and reality; between yesterday and today.

programme

The Cinephiles’ Heaven

“The Cinephiles’ Heaven”, as it was affectionately called by the festival’s long-time artistic director Peter von Bagh, does not refer merely to one the three main sections of the programme. Rather it expresses the most authentic and comprehensive vocation of Il Cinema Ritrovato: the Cineteca di Bologna’s festival is a true Garden of Cinematic Delights for every film lover…

THE TIME MACHINE

Cinema has the unique ability to transport contemporary audiences through time, recreating the atmosphere, presence and truths of bygone eras. Faces, aesthetics and narrative forms from the past return to life on screen in a continuous play of proximity and distance, developing an ongoing dialogue between the audience and their contemporary point of view…

THE SPACE MACHINE

Physics remind us that time and space are inseperable dimensions within every voyage. Cinema is also – and perhaps above all – a journey through places: dreams exposed onto film, parallel universes accessed through the big screen, far away lands brought within reach…

discover the xl programme

Step into the cinephiles’ heaven!

How to take part in the festival

To be able to attend Il Cinema Ritrovato 2026, you’ll need a festival pass that’s valid for the full duration of the festival. Once you’ve got yours, we’ll email you your login details to then access the booking platform.

Festival pass holders will be able to book seats for the scheduled screenings according to a timetable that will be available in early June. The festival uses a phased booking system, with seats being made available in stages.

how to book your seat find out more

Before and after the films

More than just screenings

As well as the film programme, Il Cinema Ritrovato is so much more!

From the famous market selling books, DVDs, posters and other treasures – the so-called Book Fair – to the numerous exhibitions dedicated to the history of cinema, these fringe events bring the festival to life every day and are open to everyone.

the book fair the exhibitions

writing on film

cinefilia ritrovata

Once again this year, the team of critics of the Cineteca di Bologna’s magazine dedicated to the love of cinema, with Roy Menarini as editor-in-chief, will follow the festival’s events with extensive coverage of the great classics and rare gems featured in the Il Cinema Ritrovato programme.

(if you feel like practicing your Italian!)

go to the articles