Numero 10

A shirt, a local football pitch and the eyes of adults. Numero 10, an Italian short film by Simone Paggetti submitted to the International Sport Film Festival 2026, begins with a situation familiar to anyone involved in youth football: a boy plays while demands and expectations gather around him. The match is at the centre of the story, but it is also shaped by words from the touchline, the gaze of spectators and what the young player believes he has to prove.

The journey begins in the changing room, in front of a mirror. The movement from shadow onto the pitch accompanies the boy's entry into the space of the team and public judgement. The dusty ground, teammates, coach and spectators create a recognisable setting where every gesture can become an occasion for assessment. The number on his shirt takes on a personal weight: alongside the desire to play, the protagonist carries the fear of making mistakes and disappointing those watching him.

In just over nine minutes, the film moves between action on the pitch, encounters with the coach and moments in the changing room. The boy's inner voice offers access to the thoughts accompanying the game. The distance between the young figure and the spaces around him, from his place on the bench to wide views of the ground, makes his solitude visible. Through these elements, the story connects the sporting experience with the need to be heard, keeping what happens during the match close to what it feels like to live through it.

Numero 10 grew out of a collaboration between Istituto Comprensivo di Collecorvino and IFA Scuola di Cinema, within the CIPS project Action Cinema Upgrade – Rete 8 e 1/2. The submission credits Cristiano Di Felice as producer. Matteo Di Giovanni and Donato Crialese are among the principal cast; the credits name Gabriele Bucari as cinematographer and Matteo Francesco Del Ciotto as editor. The production thus brings a school and film professionals together around a story centred on young people.

This introduction invites viewers to enter the match from the boy's perspective. What does a young athlete hear when he is told to win? How much room remains for the pleasure of playing? Numero 10 brings these questions to the bench, pitch and stands, leaving the audience to discover its protagonist's journey.