The 21st River Film Festival is an international film festival that will take place in Padua, Italy, from the 2nd to 19th June 2027.

The Festival is organized by the Cultural Association Researching Movies and is supported by the Padua City Council, the Veneto Region, and the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Padua has recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and the city’s 14th-century fresco cycles, making it a truly special art city that attracts tourists and creative minds from all over the world.

All screenings are free and open to the public — no ticket required.

The selected films will once again be screened on a floating screen placed in the middle of the 16th-century fluvial port at Porta Portello, the historic city gate once used for trade between Padua and Venice. This magical setting is just one of the many reasons why audiences return to RiFF year after year.

Over the course of the 18-day festival, directors and their crews will have the opportunity to present their films and engage in post-screening Q&A sessions with the audience.