International Short Film Festival ”Cinema Paradiso”

The third edition of the International Short Film Festival “Cinema Paradiso”, organized by the CineParadis Association, will take place in October 2026 at Cinema Victoria in Cluj-Napoca and aims to continue the festival’s mission of promoting short films and supporting new voices in Romanian and international cinema.The festival program will include competitive short film screenings, meetings with filmmakers, workshops dedicated to emerging filmmakers, and networking events designed to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between artists, industry professionals, and audiences. Through this structure, the festival seeks to contribute to the development of audiences for auteur cinema and to create a meeting space for emerging filmmakers and spectators.The 2026 edition will also integrate a social and educational component through the program “Cinematograful Aproape”, which will take place in September at Gherla Penitentiary. The program will include film screenings for people deprived of liberty, a storytelling workshop, and the creation of a comic book publication inspired by the participants’ stories. The results of this workshop will be presented during the festival, facilitating a symbolic dialogue between different communities and highlighting the role of art as a tool for expression and reflection.