Kino Guarimba Film Residency

KINO GUARIMBA

An international film training program in the form of a 12 days artistic residency in Calabria, the wildest region of southern Italy, where a group of international creatives who don’t know each other get together to write, shoot, edit, and screen short films.

The goal of the residency is not to create masterpieces, but to give the opportunity to the participants to live a community experience where they can grow, learn and discover new cultures.

The 12 days residency is divided in 3 parts:

• 1° Inputs & Networking: Playful-pedagogical activities, workshops on different aspects of film production focused on socialization, and training activities, where participants can get to know each other, present their ideas and form working groups. 
• 2° Filming: Dedicated to the making of short films: the work teams organize themselves to freely decide the structure and production times, in compliance with the rules of the residence.
• 3° Screening: On the last evening we organize a public screening of all the short films made during the residency, and we invite both the participants and the locals.

WHEN

The 13th edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from the 10th to the 21st of June, and the 14th edition will be from the 10th to the 21st of September.

THE PROCESS

Pedagogy

​​Kino Guarimba’s educational approach is based on the non formal education theories of Cooperative Learning and Montessori Education, based on sharing, independence and finding creative solutions to problems.

The training also involves sharing living spaces, equipment and the people they work with. The role of our entire team is limited to coordination and logistics, and we will not replace your crew. We want to empower participants by making them more independent.

Production

You will work with complete autonomy and creative freedom, according to the Montessori principles of empowerment through clear rules, freedom to choose, to make mistakes and to develop their own path in a natural and spontaneous way. We create a safe environment where you will challenge yourselves and collaborate with others in complete confidence. The residency tutors will guide participants on this path, without interfering with their personal process of learning and making mistakes.

The Kino method

Our residency is inspired by the Kino method, which promotes the non-competitive development of different projects, with the various teams working together to achieve common goals. This method invests more in the process than the results, to move away from the anxiety of delivering a finished product and to make people understand the importance of teamwork and learning. 

TO WHOM?

Kino Guarimba is open to anyone, Italians or foreigners, who have already turned 18 at the time of their submission.

If you’re a filmmaker, have technical skills, or and actor willing to learn and interact with others and to get stuck in even when communication becomes complicated. We are not only looking for experienced professionals, but also students and people who are approaching the audiovisual world with enthusiasm and a desire to help.

2026 EDITION

Our main goal is to create a multicultural film community with professionals, students, and film enthusiasts. A community capable of engaging with the local population regardless of the language barrier. We use cinema as a tool to create an open society.

The residency includes:

• 12 nights accommodation in an apartment in Amantea.
• 1 Welcome kit including a tote bag and some gadgets.
• 1 Welcome Dinner.
• 1 Speed Dating + Breakfast.
• 1 Social Lunch.
• 1 guided tour of Amantea historical center.
• Assistance from our tutors during the shooting, sound recording and post-production.
• The use of our technical equipment for sound, lighting and editing.
• Networking events with other 49 participants from all over the world.
• A Masterclass on Film Production and Lighting.
• A Masterclass on Live Sound Recording and Sound Production.
• A Masterclass on Editing.
• A Masterclass on Short Film Distribution.
• Mentoring for the distribution of your film after the residency.
• An unforgettable experience.

HOW TO APPLY

• Form. Fill the form before February 20. We will read your application and contact you via email after the deadline.
• Interview. We will meet in a 15-minute informal video call on Zoom. The results will be notified before March 5th.
• Selection. If you are selected, we will contact you again via email explaining all the next steps.
• Confirmation.Participation is confirmed upon payment of the registration fee, which must be made within 30 days of receiving the selection email.

There are 50 available places for participants which will be determined by a selection process based on portfolio, enthusiasm, and willingness to discover.

Don’t wait until the last day to send your application, because we usually fill all the places before.

PARTICIPANT FEES

• A) Residency + shared accommodation max 3 people per room (12 nights): €479
• B) Residency + private room (12 nights): €611

Important notes

• Participation fees must be paid after being selected and not before.
• The program does not cover travel expenses.
• Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and bathroom.
• The apartments do not have air conditioning or WIFI.
• If you prefer not to share a room or have a bigger bed, we recommend to book the individual room.

Kino Guarimba selected on international festival and winners

• “Amantea”, made by the Dutch director Laura Hermanides on Kino Guarimba 2018 won the “Best Dutch Film” award at Da Bounce Urban Film Festival 2019 and the “Best Short Film” award at Elba Film Festival 2020.
• “La Torta”, made by the Australian filmmakers Gabrielle Gregoire and Olivia Lawson on Kino Guarimba 2019, has been finalist at Roma Short Film Festival 2021 and Paris International Short Film Festival 2021, winning the “Best Editing” award at FlickerFest International Short Film Festival 2021 and the “Best Experimental Short Film” award at Berlin Short Awards 2021.
• “Long Live The Panda” documentary, made by the Dutch directors Bo van der Meer and Roswitha de Boer on Kino Guarimba 2020, won the “Best Documentary” award at Shortcutz Amsterdam 2022 and “Best Italian Film” award al Reale Film Festival 2021.

Here you can find a selection of the films made during Kino Guarimba since 2018.

REFUND POLICY

In the event of a withdrawal of the participant who has already paid the registration fee, the organization can guarantee a 50% refund of the sum only if the withdrawal is communicated within 45 days before the start of the residency and is caused by a valid reason.

In the event that the organization grants a deferment of participation to a future edition, the amount already paid will be transferred to the new edition. By accepting the deferment, the participant acknowledges that the payment becomes non refundable. Any subsequent withdrawal after a deferment will not be eligible for a refund.

INSURANCE

It is your responsibility to seek cover for yourself and your belongings. Our organization will not take responsibility for damage or loss of personal property before, during, or after the residency.

CREDITS

All films must include 5 seconds of the following text before the opening credits and after the closing credits:

Conceived, shot, and edited during
Kino Guarimba 2026

All films will have to include logos of partners and sponsors. These files will be supplied at the start of KINO.

Know our legal aspects:

• Filmmakers will have to ensure they secure rights for the use of music and the actor’s image and voice. We recommend using copyright.
• Free music. If the filmmaker decides to submit the film to festivals, it will be the filmmaker’s responsibility to ensure they have not infringed any law pertaining to intellectual property.
• By participating, directors take legal responsibility for their films.
• By participating, filmmakers give rights to La Guarimba to use the finished film for promotional activities, on the understanding that this use will not damage or interfere with any festival strategy previously agreed with the filmmaker. If the film gets an award, it will go to the filmmaker.
• During the residency, a photographer and a videomaker from our team will take photos and videos of the activities. By participating in Kino Guarimba, participants consent to be captured in photos and/or videos, to the reproduction and publication by any technical means of their images for journalistic and institutional-promotional use of the activities related to the event.
• Individual portraits will also be taken. In case you do not want to be filmed, we advise you not to take part in the residency.

We have some important rules:

• All participants must go through a selection process that includes filling out a form and an interview with our team.
• The selected creatives must arrive in Amantea on day 10 between 9:00 and 17:00.
• The participants will be hosted by the organization in single or shared rooms for 12 nights, from the 10th to the 21st (including the 21st). The rooms must be vacated on day 22 by 9:30.
• The apartments must be in good conditions before check out.
• The participants undertake to stay in Amantea during all the days of the Residency. It is not possible to arrive after or leave before the days indicated.
• The shorts must have at least one outdoor scene in Amantea.
• It will not be possible to shoot outside the city of Amantea.
• The maximum length of the short film is 7 minutes. You are completely free to change the length of your short after the end of the residency.
• The final work must be delivered in person on day 21, from 9:00 to 12:00, following the technical instructions that will be provided.
• Office hours are sacred. Our team has the right to rest.
• We will use a WhatsApp group during the days of the residency to communicate with the participants. Registration to this group is mandatory.
• Guarimba is an adult community, not a summer camp. If you have a problem with someone, talk to us. If at that point you still can’t solve the problem, come to us.
• Don’t promise anyone anything before arriving in Amantea. Even if the script and the person seem great, wait until you meet everyone and get inspired by Calabria.
• Don’t monopolize the people and the technical material. We are here to help and will do our best to help you, but we are not your production help. Remember: locals want to participate. Invest more time in making connections, rather than making demands.
• Any form of insult, offensive language, or disrespect directed at the organization, its members, or its mission will not be tolerated. Violations of this rule may lead to immediate exclusion from current and future activities.
• Adapt and learn. This is a growth experience. Amantea has a lot to offer to your personal journey. Don’t focus on what you don’t like about the locals, but try to understand what you can learn from their culture and way of life.

INFORMATION

For further information, you can contact the organizers directly: via email info@cinemambulante.com

ORGANIZED BY