Univerciné Italian
Italian Film Festival in Nantes
About Univerciné Italien
Founded within the Franco-Italian Cultural Centre of Nantes, Univerciné Italien is an annual festival dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema. Integrated into the Univerciné cycle, a season of four European film festivals organized in partnership between the University of Nantes and the Katorza cinema, it offers a selection of about fifteen films each March, often unreleased in France, mixing fiction, documentaries, heritage films, and children's screenings. The festival is distinguished by its previews and world premieres, offering the Nantes audience a rich and demanding panorama of Italian cinematic creation. Three awards are presented: the Audience Award, the Univerciné Jury Award composed of students, and the Nantado Award recognizing the best family film from the entire Univerciné cycle. Since its first edition in 2008, Univerciné Italien has established itself as an unmissable event for lovers of Transalpine cinema in Western France.
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Univerciné Italien: Transalpine Cinema in Nantes
Every March, the Univerciné Italien festival invites the Nantes public to discover the best of contemporary Italian cinema. Born within the Franco-Italian Cultural Centre (CCFI) in Nantes, the festival is part of the Univerciné cycle, a unique season in France of four festivals dedicated to European cinema in its original version with subtitles, the result of a partnership between the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Nantes Université and the Katorza cinema.
A Demanding and Unique Program
The Univerciné Italien program brings together about fifteen films each year—fiction, documentaries, restored heritage works, animated films, and children's screenings. The selection favors films unreleased in France, previews, and world premieres, offering a privileged insight into the diversity and vitality of Italian cinematic creation. The films in competition are presented in their original Italian version with French subtitles.
Awards to Promote Italian Cinema
The festival presents three awards:
- The Audience Award: Spectators vote for their favorite film from the selection in competition.
- The Univerciné Jury Award: A jury composed of students designates the best film, with a Grand Prize awarded to the best film from all four festivals in the cycle.
- The Nantado Award: This award recognizes the best family film among the four Univerciné festivals of the season.
A Festival Rooted in the University and Cultural Landscape
Univerciné Italien is part of a cultural and university outreach initiative. The festival is run by the Univerciné association, in collaboration with the CCFI, Nantes Université, and the Katorza cinema. It offers meetings with directors, debates, and discussions with professionals from Italian cinema, making each edition a moment of discovery and sharing around Italian culture.
School screenings are organized for primary, middle, and high schools at a reduced rate, contributing to media literacy and openness to European cinematographies.
Univerciné Italien — edition 2026
The 18th edition of Univerciné Italien took place from March 3 to 8, 2026, at the Katorza cinema in Nantes. The festival featured about twenty Italian films—fiction, documentaries, a heritage film, animated films, and children's screenings—with several previews and unreleased films competing for the Audience Award, the Univerciné Jury Award, and the EUniverciné Award.
18th Edition — March 3 to 8, 2026
For its 18th edition, Univerciné Italien offered a program of about twenty films at the Katorza cinema, from March 3 to 8, 2026. The selection mixed fiction, documentaries, a heritage film, animated films, and screenings for young audiences.
The films in competition vied for the Audience Award and the Univerciné Jury Award. A new feature of this edition: the EUniverciné Award, which extends the festival's reach beyond borders by recognizing a film on a European scale.
As every year, the festival offered meetings with filmmakers, debates, and discussions allowing the audience to engage with the invited Italian creators.
Programme Univerciné Italien 2026
2026 Program
The selection included about twenty Italian films:
- Films in competition: debut films and works unreleased in France competing for the festival awards
- Documentaries: unique perspectives on Italian society and culture
- Heritage film: a classic work of Italian cinema presented in a restored print
- Animated films and for young audiences: screenings suitable for children and families
Meetings and Events
Meetings with directors and debates accompanied the screenings throughout the week.
Highlights Univerciné Italien 2026
Highlights of the 2026 Edition
- 18th edition of the festival, concluding the 2025-2026 Univerciné season
- About twenty Italian films programmed, including many unreleased in France
- Creation of the EUniverciné Award, a new award with a European dimension
- Meetings with Italian filmmakers invited to Nantes
- Super Free Price (free) for students of Nantes Université
Prices Univerciné Italien 2026
Practical information — Univerciné Italien
Practical Information
Screening Venue
All screenings take place at:
- Katorza Cinema — 3, rue Corneille, 44000 Nantes
Ticketing and Prices
Full price: €7.70
Reduced price (CCFI members): €6.00
Super Free Price (students of Nantes Université and partner schools): €0
School price (primary, middle, high schools): €4.00
Group price (15 people and more, single payer): €5.00
6-session pass: €30.00
Book online at nantes.katorza.fr a few days before the festival begins, or directly at the Katorza cinema box office.
Access
By tram: Lines 1 and 3, Commerce or Médiathèque stop. The Katorza cinema is located in the very center of Nantes.
By train: Nantes station (TGV from Paris in 2h15), then a 10-minute walk to Katorza.
By car: Paid parking lots in the city center (Commerce, Médiathèque, Graslin).
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Travel to this festival
Book your train or bus to reach Univerciné Italien at the best price.
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Where does it take place — Univerciné Italien
Cinéma Katorza
3 rue Corneille, 44000 Nantes