Short Weekend film festival

It's an international short film festival that stands out for its socially oriented themes.
The short films participating in this festival have only one admission category related to social and solidarity themes. Since 2018, we've been using the FilmFreeway platform or direct submission.

In all these editions, the awarded short film categories have been:

  • Best Social Movie
  • Best Actor under 17

The first edition took place in September 2017, in the evocative location of the Santuario del Sacro Monte in Varese, with Silent Movie projections via headphones, directly in front of the church.

In the editions from 2018 to December 2025, we received more than 2,500 short films from approximately 50 countries around the world. 2025 editions has been held in Lecce, at the Biblioteca Ogni Bene, former Augustinian Convent. Here are the winners. for the final.

Dream car wash
Directed by Edoardo Brighenti

Dream Car Wash is the story of Sara, an Italian-Iranian woman in London, who faces the daily challenges of her job at a car wash. Amidst the monotonous routines and brief encounters, her dream of becoming a professional dancer grows inside her, waiting to be expressed.

Best movie award.
Best actress special award to Isabella Nefar.

'Dream Car Wash' by Edoardo Brighenti poster
In Gaza pietas
Directed by Diego Monfredini

The genocide robbed an entire generation of their childhood. The Palestinian people were annihilated and humiliated, starting with the dreams of their children, with their future.
This is an imagined story, but all the drawings of the palestinian children are real.
This film was created to give voice to their imagination, their hopes and their pain.

Best animated social documentary special award.

'In Gaza pietas' by Diego Monfredini poster
Lebedynske
Directed by Arthur Kedzierski

Svitlyachok orphanage, Ukraine, 2000.
Kairo (8) and Stanislas (12) meet and form an unbreakable bond through shared adventures and secrets, until one small mishap changes everything.

Best story award.
Best Actor Under 17 Award, ex-aequo:
Maxim Kornatovski and Victor Kozlowski.

'Lebedynske' by Arthur Kedzierski poster

Follow the link to all Short weekend film festival pictures.

Here you can find the winners of all Short Weekend film festival previous editions.