Cuneo archeofilm 2026

From Thursday, October 1st to Saturday, October 3rd, 2026, at the Complesso Monumentale di San Francesco (Via Santa Maria 10), the past returns to the big screen with the 4th edition of Cuneo Archeofilm, the International Film Festival of Archaeology, Art and Environment, featuring a selection of the finest international cinema dedicated to the discovery and valorization of cultural and environmental heritage. Three free evenings featuring five documentary films , starting at 8:45 pm, will take the audience on a journey through distant eras, places, and civilizations, accompanied by presentations by historians and experts in the field. The focus on younger generations is confirmed with "A scuola con… Cuneo Archeofilm!", a program aimed at middle and high schools, which will be welcomed on Friday, October 2nd, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, at the Complesso Monumentale di San Francesco for a morning of screenings dedicated to a younger audience. Schools can participate free of charge, with reservations required, by writing to museo@comune.cuneo.it.

The festival will also feature direct audience participation, with audiences voting for the most popular film for the "Cuneo Archeofilm Award," and students voting for the "Cuneo Archeofilm – Schools Award." Cuneo Archeofilm is organized by the Civic Museum of the Municipality of Cuneo, in collaboration with Firenze Archeofilm and Archeologia Viva (Giunti Editore), and with the support of the CRC Foundation.

On Friday, October 2nd, at the Complesso Monumentale di San Francesco, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, "A scuola con… Cuneo Archeofilm!" will be held, a free event (reservation required) that the Festival dedicates to local middle and high schools. During the morning, seven documentary films on archaeological, environmental, and historical themes will be screened, selected to introduce young people aged 12 to 19 to cultural heritage through the language of cinema. After the screenings, students will be able to cast their votes and contribute to the Cuneo Archeofilm – Schools Award, which will be presented to the most voted short film during the closing evening on Saturday, October 4th.

For more information and to learn about the school program, visit www.firenzearcheofilm.it/cuneo.
Admission is free. To participate, please register by writing to museo@comune.cuneo.it.

“Mauro Cutrona. Imagining Prehistory”
Country: Italy – Director: Stefano Zampini, Nicolò Scialpi – Running Time: 19' – Year: 2025 – Producer: Stefano Zampini, Nicolò Scialpi
Language: Italian
The only way we can observe prehistory is through the eyes, pencils, and paints of paleoartists. Mauro Cutrona is undoubtedly among the most renowned and influential specialists in the field. In conversation with the authors, Cutrona discusses his work, reflecting on the responsibility his work entails, the interplay between science and art, and revealing the wonder of bringing humanity's most distant and profound roots back to life.

Meeting with Umberto Tecchiati, professor of Prehistory and Prehistoric Ecology at the University of Milan, and Stefania Padovan, curator for archaeological aspects of the Maritime Alps Protected Areas Agency.

Presentation of the special article "Aisone Caves. Prehistorians on the Road to the Alps," published in the September/October 2026 issue of Archeologia Viva.

Chauvet Cave:
In the Footsteps of Prehistoric Artists
Country: France – Director: Alexis de Favitski – Running Time: 52' – Year: 2024 – Production: Agnès et Christie Molia / Tournez S'il Vous Plait
Language: Italian
The Ardèche Gorges, December 1994: three speleologists discover the Chauvet Cave, the most important and oldest in Europe. Decorated with countless breathtaking animal figures dating back 36,000 years. Twenty thousand years before Lascaux, Homo Sapiens had already demonstrated astonishing artistic mastery. For conservation reasons, the Chauvet Cave has never been accessible to the public. Only a team of researchers is authorized to descend into the cave and study it for one month each year. The film crew will have the privilege of accompanying them and us on one of their missions…

FRIDAY OCTOBER 2nd
at 8:45 PM

“Hardangerfolk”
Country: United Kingdom – Director: Gregor Douglas Sinclair – Running Time: 20' – ​​Year: 2023 – Producer: Matthew Smith
Language: English, Norwegian
Subtitles: Italian
The film, following a modern-day expedition, retraces the footsteps of members of the Norwegian resistance who in 1943 crossed the inhospitable Hardangervidda mountain plateau to prevent Hitler from creating a new atomic bomb. The mission saw eleven Norwegian resistance fighters trained in Britain destroy the Nazi-controlled power plant that was developing deuterium oxide, also known as “heavy water,” a key ingredient in the production of plutonium.

Meeting with Pierangelo Gentile , medieval historian and president of the Society for Historical, Archaeological and Artistic Studies of the Province of Cuneo

“Army of Lovers”
Country: Greece, Austria – Director: Lefteris Charitos – Running Time: 53′ – Year: 2025 – Production: Anemon Productions (Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof), Epo-Film (Heinrich Mayer-Moroni) – Scientific Advisor: James Romm
Language: Italian
The film tells the epic saga of the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite army of 150 pairs of male lovers who became the most formidable warriors of the ancient world. A team of leading international archaeologists and historians reexamines newly discovered evidence and gains unprecedented insight into the story of the Sacred Band. Their findings challenge us to rethink our understanding of ancient Greece and our perceptions of heroism, gender, and love throughout time.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3,
8:45 PM

World Premiere
"Engraved in Stone, Saint Francis and His Pilgrims"
Country: Italy – Director: Diego D'Innocenzo and Francesco Giannetti – Running Time: 54' – Year: 2026 – Production: TERRA Srl – Scientific Consultant: Carlo Tedeschi, Pier Paolo Trevisi, Maria Teresa Dolso, Mario Marrocchi, Gaetano Curzi
Language: Italian
Eight hundred years after his death, new discoveries are coming to light about one of the most influential saints in history: Saint Francis. For centuries, his figure has drawn millions of pilgrims to the Basilica of Assisi, while Giotto's extraordinary frescoes have shaped a powerful legacy: a rich man who renounced everything; a preacher of peace for people and animals; a visionary saint marked by the stigmata. But alongside this narrative, another story has remained almost invisible. Hidden within the Basilica's walls are over 700 devotional graffiti: messages left by medieval and Renaissance pilgrims, friars, and travelers, now being studied for the first time. Thanks to exclusive access to these hidden traces, the voices of ordinary believers are once again heard, revealing a more complex and intimate portrait of the most beloved saint. A journey to discover the man beyond myth, and the secret history engraved in the heart of one of Italy's most sacred places.

Meeting with Marta Zunino , director of the Toirano Caves

♦ Award ceremony
Awarding of the “Cuneo Archeofilm Award” to the film with the most votes from the public
Awarding of the “Cuneo Archeofilm Award – Schools” to the short film with the most votes from students

♦ Screening of the short film winner of the “Cuneo Archeofilm – Schools Award”