The Lovers Film Festival — Italy's historic festival exploring LGBTQI+ themes (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex) — directed by Vladimir Luxuria and founded by Giovanni Minerba and Ottavio Mai, returns to Torino from April 16 to 21, 2026 at the Cinema Massimo, the multiplex of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (Via Verdi 18, Torino).
For the seventh year, Lovers is directed by Vladimir Luxuria — activist, writer, television personality, actress, singer and playwright, also known for her political career. The artistic director will be joined by Angelo Acerbi, deputy artistic director and head of selection, and selectors Elisa Cuter and Alessandro Uccelli, with the collaboration of Niccolò Gossi.
The forty-first edition of the Lovers Film Festival will open on Thursday April 16 at 7:30 PM in the Aula del Tempio of the Mole Antonelliana — the symbol of Torino and home of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (via Montebello 20) — with the customary welcome from special guest of honour Donatella Finocchiaro. The evening will also feature Federico Fiorio, countertenor, who will perform arias by Farinelli, accompanied by pianist Luigi Trivisano.
50 films from 21 countries are on the programme. Among the out-of-competition titles, alongside the opening film "Maspalomas" by Jose Mari Goenaga Balerdi, are "Blue Film" by Elliot Tuttle, "Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror" by Linus O'Brien, and the closing film "Plainclothes" by Carmen Emmi.
Over the 6 days of the festival, many figures from the world of cinema, culture and entertainment will be guests at the Cinema Massimo. Writer, essayist and journalist Gianluigi Ricuperati, stand-up comedian Simonetta Musitano, and Andrea and Alessandro — protagonists of a true story intertwining themes of same-sex parenthood and femicide — will share their story with audiences alongside Vladimir Luxuria. For the EuroPride focus (the international event will be hosted in Torino in 2027), speakers will include Alessandro Battaglia, president of the EuroPride Torino 2027 committee, Patrick Orth, president of EPOA — European Pride Organisers Association, Patrik Rásky of Budapest Pride, and Romas Zabarauskas, director of "The Activist", which will be screened at the end of the session. The highly anticipated musical guest for 2026 will be Leo Gassmann, while the closing night's guest of honour will be the well-known television host Nicola Savino.
Among the film guests, the stars of "Sensualità a Corte" — Marcello Cesena (Jean Claude), Simona Garbarino (Madre) and Fabrizio Lopresti (Daiana) — will receive the Adoration Award ahead of the screening of "Sensualità A Corte — Il Film" by Marcello Cesena. Also attending the festival will be Raúl Tejón, star of the series "Machos alfa" and the film "Who Wants to Marry an Astronaut?" by David Matamoros, and Helen Walsh, director of "On the Sea" and celebrated British author with numerous awards and accolades to her name.
There are three main competitive sections: All The Lovers — Premio Ottavio Mai, international feature film competition; Real Lovers, international documentary competition; and Future Lovers, international short film competition. The three juries will be chaired by actor Lorenzo Balducci, critic Vincenzo Patanè, and artist Josefine Yole Signorelli, known as Fumettibrutti. The Lovers Film Festival will also award: the Premio Torino Pride, the Premio Giò Stajano, the Premio Young Lovers — Libere Gabbie, the Premio Matthew Shepard — Il Groviglio, the Adoration Award, and the Riflessi nel Buio prize. The Audience Award also returns.
A photograph by Dario Gazziero will serve as the image for the 2026 edition of Lovers: a shot intended to embody the 2026 claim "Chi guarda chi — Who's Watching Who", with a clear reference to the multiple layers of looking. Because looking does not always mean seeing.
The Lovers Film Festival is produced by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino and takes place with the support of the MiC, the Regione Piemonte and the Comune di Torino.
For information and the full programme, see here.
