Kino Guarimba 2026 – September

From 10 to 21 September 2026, La Guarimba hosted the fourteenth edition of Kino Guarimba, a film training programme for filmmakers from all over the world. The filmmakers came to Amantea, in Calabria, to begin a journey of artistic collaboration and exchange. This year’s edition was organised by CinemAmbulante and La Guarimba, and made possible thanks to the collaboration of Italia Patria della Bellezza, Caribe Atómico Film Festival (Venezuela), MyAirBridge, Moleskine Foundation, Caffè Guglielmo and Lido Azzurro.

On 10 September, 47 filmmakers from 5 continents and 24 countries arrived to take part in a 12-day film residency to conceive, shoot and edit their short films. By the end of Kino Guarimba, the 47 participants had delivered 42 films, for a total of 2 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds of cinema.

THE PROGRAMME

Kino Guarimba is a twelve-day film training programme that offers professional workshops and cultural events, and encourages collaboration between the filmmakers and the people of Amantea.

The first days of Kino are designed to help participants connect with each other and get to know the town of Amantea and its rich history and culture.

On 10 September, the first day, participants arrived throughout the day and registered in person at the La Guarimba office, on Via Mazzini. They were then walked to their apartments, where they lived together for the whole residency, and had the chance to explore the town and the beach and to meet their fellow filmmakers. At 20:30 the welcome dinner began at Il Terrenito, where everyone could socialise and officially get to know each other.

All activities took place at Territorio Guarimba, our association’s multifunctional space, which includes Il Terrenito, our outdoor space, our offices and La Piccola Biblioteca di Amantea. The library hosts a recording studio, a study room that this year welcomed the filmmakers while they were editing, and a children’s area that turns into a conference room and activity space for the association.

KINO GUARIMBA AND THE MUSIC CAMP

The September edition has a special feature: it takes place during the same days as the Music Camp, our music residency, and shares some moments of the programme with it. For the filmmakers, this is an extra opportunity: to meet musicians and collaborate with them on the soundtracks and sound of their films.

On 12 September we organised a Jam Session together with the Music Camp participants. We set up a set of instruments on the stage of Il Terrenito and people dropped by to play, have fun and spend time together. It was a moment of sharing and getting to know each other between musicians and filmmakers.

11 September began with breakfast at Lido Azzurro, followed by the presentations and a speed dating exercise among the filmmakers. In the different rounds, participants had a few minutes to talk to each other, share ideas, skills and wishes for the residency, and start imagining possible collaborations. It was an exercise to sharpen their pitching skills and an opportunity to explore ideas together.

The day continued with lunch at Cantina Amarcord, to taste traditional Calabrian food and wine and encourage conversation among participants.

In the late afternoon, the La Guarimba team guided the participants on a tour of Amantea, through the historic centre and the town’s most evocative places. It was a chance to start scouting locations for their films.

12 September was dedicated to masterclasses, given by industry professionals and the residency tutors, and attended by all the filmmakers. It began with “The Rules of the Game”, in which the residency trainers introduced the rules and spirit of the programme, followed by the masterclass on distribution, given by artistic director Giulio Vita in collaboration with Caribe Atómico Film Festival, the Caracas festival founded by La Guarimba, with advice on how to circulate their films and choose the right festivals.

Next, sound tutor Fran Rousset led a masterclass on recording and sound, with an overview of how to use audio equipment correctly, how to record ambient sound and dialogue, and how to build an effective soundscape. Finally, filmmaker and editor Fortunato Valente gave the editing masterclass, designed for those who wanted to learn more about this stage and feel more confident editing their own film.

13 September was the last day of shared activities before shooting began. Everyone gathered at the Piccola Biblioteca di Amantea for a coffee offered by Caffè Guglielmo and a tour of the library, followed by a Sharing Impressions exercise. Instead of a traditional pitching session, we chose to have participants share what they would like to do and their impressions of the place around them, to avoid competition and the rush to hand in an idea just for the sake of handing one in. It was a way to let ideas emerge from listening to each other and from contact with the territory.

At noon came the community casting: 18 aspiring actors and actresses from Amantea, aged between 9 and 49, had the chance to introduce themselves and show their skills in front of the filmmakers. Children and teenagers were particularly numerous: 13 of the 18 participants were aged between 9 and 14. The community casting matters in two ways: for the local population, it opens the door to work on a film set and to meeting international filmmakers; for the filmmakers, it is a further opportunity to deepen their ties with the community of Amantea and its culture, giving their work greater authenticity.

THE SHOOTING PROCESS

From 14 to 19 September participants shot their projects. Following the philosophy of the Kino method, we did not interfere with the process, encouraging filmmakers to form their own crews and letting collaborations emerge organically and spontaneously.

Kino Guarimba provided basic equipment for sound recording, lights, reflectors, tripods and editing stations, to be shared among all participants. For the use of equipment we applied simple rules: loans of up to 24 hours, priority to those who had not yet used the equipment, and punctual return, so as not to compromise other people’s productions. The filmmakers shot all around Amantea: in the historic centre, on the beach, in the streets and squares, in local businesses and in the apartments for interior scenes.

The films were made with the contribution of the townspeople: local actors appeared in 21 of the 42 films (51%) delivered.

NEW IN 2026: THE FEEDBACK SESSIONS

This year we introduced something new: a day dedicated to the Feedback Sessions, on Saturday 19 September at our offices. Participants could show their work in progress to the residency tutors (Oscar Peña, Giulio Vita, Fran Rousset and Fortunato Valente) and receive specific guidance to improve it before delivery. 13 projects signed up.

In the final survey, those who took part in the sessions found them very useful: some received precise notes on colour and on how to approach future projects, some regained the distance needed to look at their footage objectively, and some understood how to rework the structure of their film or how to work better with sound. One participant said the notes were direct and focused on the most important points, allowing her to refine the project with small adjustments. Another said the sessions gave her the encouragement she needed to finish her film.

SPECIAL MOMENTS

During this edition there were also moments that particularly moved us. Some children from Amantea made their own films and presented them to the audience, including the very young Maria Emanuela Delizia. Their films were shown at Cinema Sicoli, together with those of the other participants.

The day before departure, some participants organised a beach clean-up on their own initiative, giving back to Amantea a little of the care they had received during their stay.

DELIVERY AND FINAL SCREENING

On 21 September, between 9 and 11, each filmmaker delivered their film in person at the La Guarimba office. 42 films were delivered, with a total running time of 2 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds (an average of about 4 minutes per film). Eight directors (19.51%) directed their first film.

At 15:00 the films were screened at Cinema Sicoli, with all participants, actors and residents of Amantea invited to attend. The hall was full to the last seat. The day ended at 19:00 at Il Terrenito with a moment of conclusions and farewells.

THE PARTICIPANTS

Forty-seven participants from all over the world formed a diverse group of filmmakers. Coming from five continents, with different ages and backgrounds, each participant brought a unique perspective to the whole group, united by the desire to share their knowledge, collaborate and create together.

To make the residency known, we carried out promotional activities through several channels. [TO COMPLETE: 2026 promotion channels, e.g. newsletters, festivals, partners, social media]

In the end we had 47 filmmakers from 24 countries: Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Venezuela.

Again this year we had a clear majority of women filmmakers, at 70.2%, compared with 25.5% men. Two participants (4.3%) identified as non-binary or did not indicate a category.

The average age of participants was 28 years, with a median of 26; the youngest person was 19 and the oldest 61. The 18-24 and 25-30 age groups were equally represented, with 17 people each, followed by 7 people aged 31 to 35 and 6 people over 35.

During the selection process, we also considered the candidates’ profiles and roles. From young students at the start of their careers to professional filmmakers, each person was chosen for the knowledge they could bring to the group. This Kino offers new filmmakers the chance to take their first steps in the industry, and is a break for those already working in it, allowing them to live a community experience where they can immerse themselves in the creative process.

Filmmakers make up a significant share of the participants, but the residency’s training activities allowed everyone to try different roles. In the final survey, answered by 36 of the 47 participants, two out of three (24 out of 36) said they had worked in a role they had never held before: some worked for the first time as director of photography, some as editor, sound recordist, assistant director, translator or actor.

Kino Guarimba is a project in constant evolution, in which we learn something new with every edition. It is a process of trial and error, and our goal is to develop the programme so that each edition is better than the last. We also want to understand the project’s impact on the participants and on the local community of Amantea.

For this reason, we collect both qualitative and quantitative data through questionnaires, forms and observation. For the international artists, we assess the educational impact of the residency. For the people and the community of Amantea, we look at the social, cultural and economic impacts.

THE EDUCATIONAL IMPACT ON PARTICIPANTS

This film residency follows the pedagogical methods of Non-Formal Education, Cooperative Learning and the Montessori Method. These twelve days of conceiving, shooting and editing films are a compact and intensive learning journey. These teaching methods are used because they encourage collaboration, the sharing of resources and spaces, and give participants freedom and autonomy in the creative process.

In the selection process, we try to choose candidates with diverse artistic profiles, from directors and directors of photography to sound artists and editors. Each candidate has a different motivation for taking part: some want to try a new role or practise a new skill, others are at the beginning of their studies or career, and others are looking to revive their creative side or take a break from the routine of a nine-to-five job.

Before the filmmakers begin their creative collaboration, we organise events for them to meet and socialise. From the welcome dinner to the shared accommodation, this is a fundamental aspect of creating connections and bonds among them. Although some may have different and sometimes opposing points of view, we encourage participants to open a dialogue and try to understand others.

The focus of this film residency is on the process, not the result. The aim is for participants to use this opportunity to experiment, try different roles and let their creativity emerge. Making mistakes and learning from them is an integral part of this process, and we encourage participants not to see failure as something negative, but as an opportunity for learning and reflection.

The final survey confirms the effectiveness of this approach. Participants gave the overall educational quality of the residency an average rating of 4.2 out of 5, and 35 out of 36 said they would recommend Kino Guarimba to a colleague or friend. Asked what they had learned, the theme that came up most often was letting go of perfectionism: “learning to go slower to go faster”, trusting the process, accepting that a film doesn’t have to be perfect to exist. Many also mentioned discovering they can do more than they thought, the importance of collaborating openly and honestly, and the richness of engaging with very different cultures and ways of making films. Some expressed the wish for the residency to last a few more days, to experience the local culture more deeply.

THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

Amantea is a small town of 14,000 inhabitants on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, in southern Italy. This September, forty-seven filmmakers arrived in our small town for Kino Guarimba, where we encouraged them to explore the town and its people. We want the film residents to engage with the locals, the places and the stories that Amantea has to offer, turning the streets, squares, historic centre and beaches into large open-air sets. It is important that they accept Amantea as their host and do not form an isolated bubble in which to operate. By directly involving the people of Amantea in making their short films, they not only empower themselves as filmmakers, but also help empower the community. The skills they sharpen in organising a production crew, communicating with their local actors in Italian and building bonds with them are something the filmmakers will carry with them forever.

During Kino, Amantea goes through a process of urban revitalisation. The filmmakers explore the town and see its beauty, turning even abandoned and run-down places into backdrops for their films, inviting residents to see their town in a new light. These places become active protagonists in their stories and take on new meaning as locations.

Kino Guarimba helps re-establish a connection between locals, culture and art through cinema. This creates a sense of belonging and pride in the community, as people from all over the world come to Amantea for the experience of making a short film. This process allows the people of Amantea to see their town and their stories projected on the big screen. This year, 21 of the 42 films (51%) involved local actors, and some children from Amantea became filmmakers themselves.

The survey shows that participants felt welcomed: asked “Did you feel welcomed by the town and the people?”, the average rating was 4.7 out of 5, with 26 of 36 responses giving the top score. Among the comments, participants described Amantea as “big enough for everyone to make a film, but small enough to feel like home in two weeks”, and recalled neighbours who offered them typical dishes, strangers who stopped to help them even without a shared language, the sunsets over the sea and the workers at the beach clubs. One participant highlighted the impact that La Guarimba and its library have on the town’s children, describing it as a safe space. Communication with the local population was rated an average of 3.8 out of 5, a figure that confirms the importance of having Italian speakers in the crews.

For two out of three participants (28 of 36) it was their first time in Calabria, and for one in three (11 of 36) their first time in Italy. All 36 participants who answered the survey have shared, or intend to share, their experience in Amantea: most have already done so publicly, on social media or in a blog.

During the 12 days of the residency, the people of Amantea share their town with the filmmakers; some of them become actors, while others open their businesses or their homes for filming.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE TERRITORY

The overall budget for the fourteenth edition of Kino Guarimba was about €20,000 (€19,971.48), allocated to participants’ accommodation and meals, fees for project collaborators, festival materials, utilities and office running costs.

But the budget only tells part of the story of the economic impact. The presence of 47 filmmakers for 12 days brings people into town every day who eat, drink, shop, buy props and visit bars, restaurants and shops. To understand how much this matters, at the end of the residency we sent participants a survey, answered by 36 of the 47, asking how much they had spent in Amantea during their stay, excluding travel expenses.

Taking the midpoints of the spending ranges declared, the average spend per participant was about €285, or about €24 a day, of which on average about €190 on food and about €65 on drinks. Extended to all 47 participants, this estimate corresponds to about €13,400 spent in Amantea’s businesses: an amount equal to about two thirds of the project budget, on top of what La Guarimba itself invested directly.

The impact is even more significant because September, in tourism terms, is a quiet month compared with August. At Lido Azzurro, for example, there was always a group of participants discussing their films, working, eating or simply enjoying the view. In addition, three out of four participants (27 of 36) found the cost of living in Amantea lower than in their home country, 7 found it similar and only 2 found it higher.

These figures show why it matters to have people living and filming in town: every filmmaker who lives, eats and works in Amantea brings resources to local businesses in the low season, and contributes to a positive image of the town and the region, attracting sustainable tourism without compromising the authentic narrative and experience of Calabria. It highlights Calabria’s rich culture and history and everything it has to offer.

WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE

The survey also helps us understand where to improve. Access to Amantea by public transport was rated an average of 3.5 out of 5, and among the services participants felt were missing were above all places with Wi-Fi to work on editing, the opening hours of shops and supermarkets (especially in the middle of the day and in the evening), a few pharmacies and currency exchange offices, and restaurants open on Mondays. Some also suggested extending the length of the residency by a few days. These are valuable indications that we will take into account for future editions.

CREDITS

GIULIO VITA – Project Director

LILIBETH BOLÍVAR – Production Coordinator

OSCAR PEÑA GONZÁLEZ – Residency Tutor

FRAN ROUSSET – Sound Tutor

FORTUNATO VALENTE – Videomaker and Editing Tutor

MAXIM BRUCHET – Photographer

VALERIA WEERASINGHE – Brand Identity

ORGANIZED BY

Associazione Culturale CinemAmbulante & La Guarimba Associazione Culturale

Partners: Italia Patria della Bellezza, Caribe Atómico Film Festival, MyAirBridge.com, Moleskine Foundation, Caffè Guglielmo, Lido Azzurro

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ALL THE FILMS PRODUCED

password: guarimba