Documentaria 2026 in Noto: Programme and Guide to the Documentary Film Festival (29 October – 1 November)
Documentaria 2026, the eleventh edition of Noto’s Documentary Film Festival, runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Four days of screenings, meetings with directors, short films, masterclasses and workshops in the historic centre of the capital of Sicilian Baroque. All events are free to attend.
The festival falls over the All Saints’ Day long weekend, a perfect chance to experience Noto in autumn, combining documentary cinema, walks through the Baroque town and Sicilian food.
Documentaria 2026: key information
Edition: eleventh
Dates: Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026
Venues: Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo (Piazza XVI Maggio), Caffè Sicilia (Corso Vittorio Emanuele), Palazzo Trigona – Pro Loco Noto APS
Entry: free for all events
Booking: required only for workshops and masterclasses, by email to documentariafestival@gmail.com
Official website: documentaria.it
What is Documentaria?
Documentaria is a festival dedicated to documentary film that brings films, filmmakers and projects focused on real-life storytelling to Noto every year. The programme weaves together views on the present, personal stories and community narratives, and is organised into sections:
Visioni DOC Italia: evening feature-length documentaries, each followed by a meeting with the filmmakers.
Corti DOC Italia: documentary short films, screened at Palazzo Trigona.
Narrare il cibo (“Telling food”): cinema and food culture, with its own national competition.
Oltre lo schermo (“Beyond the screen”): the morning “Coffee with the director” talks at Caffè Sicilia.
DocumentariaLAB: masterclasses and training activities.
Narrare il cibo: the talk with Corrado Assenza
One of the most anticipated events takes place on Friday 30 October at 5:00 pm at Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo: “Conoscenza e consapevolezza, oltre il piatto” (“Knowledge and awareness, beyond the plate”), curated by Corrado Assenza, with Mattia Alberani of Cinefood and Hanneke Van Hintum and Ruud Sies of Resilience Food Stories. At 6:30 pm it is followed by the competition screening of A garden of the sea by Fabio Palmieri.
Full Documentaria 2026 programme
Thursday 29 October
7:30 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo – Opening of the eleventh edition, with a reception by Forno Piano Altro and Zisola Azienda Vinicola.
8:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – La vita segreta dei giocattoli by Sara Zavarise and Alexandra D’Onofrio (Italy, 2026, 62'). Followed by a talk with the directors.
10:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – Gridare agli anni luce by Andrea Damato (Italy, 2026, 90', Sicilian premiere). Followed by a talk with the director.
Friday 30 October
11:00 am | Caffè Sicilia | Oltre lo schermo – Coffee with the director: Alexandra D’Onofrio and Andrea Damato.
3:30 pm | Palazzo Trigona | Corti DOC Italia – Moving Mountains by Andrea Costa; Costantino Nivola. Una die de Pitzinnia by Vittoria Soddu; Com’ero io by Giusi Restifo.
5:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Narrare il cibo – Conoscenza e consapevolezza, oltre il piatto, curated by Corrado Assenza, with Mattia Alberani, Hanneke Van Hintum and Ruud Sies.
6:30 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Narrare il cibo national competition – A garden of the sea by Fabio Palmieri (Italy, 2026, 70'). Followed by a talk with the director.
8:15 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – Lo spazio vuoto by Stefano P. Testa and Alberto Ceresoli (Italy, 2026, 96'). Followed by a talk with the director.
10:30 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – The Answer is Out There by Anna de Manincor | ZimmerFrei (Italy, 2025, 42', Sicilian premiere). Followed by a talk with the director.
Saturday 31 October
11:00 am | Caffè Sicilia | Oltre lo schermo – Coffee with the director: Stefano P. Testa, Anna de Manincor and Fabio Palmieri.
4:00 pm | Palazzo Trigona | Corti DOC Italia – Genesi by Andrea Cavallaro, Enrico Riccobene and Mirko Puliatti; Alien Rider by Jacopo Domenichini; Fammi la grazia by Ludovico Polignano; Sueña Ahora by Gabriele Licchelli, Francesco Lorusso and Andrea Settembrini.
6:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Special event – Presentation of the book Fuori Campo. Storie e voci dal Benin by Alessandro De Filippo. Moderated by Fabio Fancello and Giuseppe Consales.
8:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – Ampio appartamento in palazzo di pregio by Tiziano Locci and Tito Puglielli (Italy, 2026, 63'). Followed by a talk with the directors.
10:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Visioni DOC Italia – A tu lado by Cristiano Regina (Cuba–Italy–Spain, 2025, 77', Sicilian premiere). Followed by a talk with the director.
Sunday 1 November
10:00 am–12:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | DocumentariaLAB – Masterclass with Daniele Gaglianone. Booking required by email to documentariafestival@gmail.com.
12:00 pm | Caffè Sicilia | Oltre lo schermo – Coffee with the director: Cristiano Regina.
4:30 pm | Palazzo Trigona | DocumentariaLAB – 25 suoni e le loro storie, curated by Alessandro Aiello / Scuola FuoriNorma. Followed by the screening of Cineteca dello Stretto documentario, curated by Z. F. Scuderi, I. Cammarata, M. Rocca and R. Rizzuti / Accademia delle Belle Arti di Catania.
6:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Nuovi sguardi, occhi sul territorio – Presentation of the winning project of the “Giuseppe Leone 2026” award.
8:00 pm | Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo | Special screening – Cumpartia by Daniele Gaglianone (Italy, 2025, 68'). Followed by a talk with the director moderated by Alessandro De Filippo and the award ceremony for the winning films.
Where Documentaria takes place: the festival venues
All festival venues are in Noto’s historic centre and are easy to reach on foot along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the Baroque main street that runs through the town past the Cathedral and Palazzo Ducezio.
Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, Piazza XVI Maggio: the main venue, hosting the evening screenings, the opening, the masterclass and the award ceremony.
Caffè Sicilia, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele: venue of the morning talks with the directors.
Palazzo Trigona – Pro Loco Noto APS: venue of the short films and workshops.
All Saints’ long weekend in Noto: planning your festival days
The festival runs from Thursday to Sunday, with the final day falling on 1 November, All Saints’ Day, a public holiday in Italy. You can plan a long weekend in Noto by combining:
mornings: talks with the directors at Caffè Sicilia and walks through the Baroque centre;
afternoons: short films at Palazzo Trigona and special events at the theatre;
evenings: the Visioni DOC Italia screenings at Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo.
For accommodation, getting around and choosing where to eat, Noto Days offers places to stay, a taxi and private driver (NCC) service, and recommendations for restaurants and bars in town.
For more events in town, read our guide to the 2026-2027 theatre season at Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo and our article on what to do in Noto and the surrounding area in October.
Frequently asked questions about Documentaria 2026
When does Documentaria 2026 take place in Noto?From Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. It is the eleventh edition of Noto’s Documentary Film Festival.
Is Documentaria free?Yes, all events are free to attend. Booking is required for workshops and masterclasses, by email to documentariafestival@gmail.com.
Where are the screenings held?At Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo in Piazza XVI Maggio, Caffè Sicilia on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Palazzo Trigona – Pro Loco Noto APS, all in Noto’s historic centre.
Who is giving the Documentaria 2026 masterclass?Director Daniele Gaglianone, on Sunday 1 November from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, by booking only.
When is the award ceremony?On Sunday 1 November at Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, after the 8:00 pm special screening of Cumpartia by Daniele Gaglianone.
What is “Narrare il cibo”?It is the Documentaria section dedicated to the relationship between cinema and food. In 2026 it includes the talk curated by Corrado Assenza and the national competition, featuring the documentary A garden of the sea by Fabio Palmieri.
What to do in Noto over the All Saints’ long weekend 2026?Documentaria is the main event of the weekend: four days of free documentary cinema in the historic centre, to combine with a visit to the Baroque town.
Programme based on information released by the organisers. For any changes, please check the official Documentaria website.
