PRESS RELEASE
15 September 2026 · English translation
ISFF 2026 launches “Stabia in Frame”, the contest for young people and the city
The release announcing the new Young Video Contest created with the Castellammare di Stabia Youth Forum and with the collaboration of Visit Castellammare.
Anticipation is building around the fifth International Sport Film Festival, taking place in Castellammare di Stabia from 23 to 28 November 2026. The programme is currently being developed and will include new initiatives, meetings and guests to be announced in forthcoming official updates.
One of the main additions to the 2026 edition is “Stabia in Frame – Young Video Contest”, an International Sport Film Festival spin-off devoted to young people’s creativity and their way of portraying Castellammare di Stabia.
The project is promoted by the International Sport Film Festival, organised by Parallax Vision ETS, in partnership with the Castellammare di Stabia Youth Forum and with the collaboration of Visit Castellammare. The original release announced free participation for young people aged 16 to 34, either individually or in groups, with no residence or local-origin requirement. The age requirement was later broadened; the update at the top of this page is authoritative.
The contest has one essential condition: Castellammare di Stabia must be clearly and substantially recognisable in each work. Beyond that, the theme is entirely open. Participants may portray its places and neighbourhoods, the sea, traditions, people, sounds and all the elements that shape the city’s identity.
The work does not need to be promotional or tourist-oriented. The contest welcomes personal, narrative, documentary, ironic, poetic, social or experimental points of view. Short films, documentaries, reports, music videos, animation and experimental works are eligible, including productions made with a smartphone in either horizontal or vertical format.
“Stabia in Frame comes from our wish to strengthen the relationship between the International Sport Film Festival, young people and the city,” explain ISFF directors Nicola D’Auria and Ciro Sorrentino. “We want to create a space where Castellammare can be portrayed without predetermined formulas. We are not looking for a promotional advert, but for an authentic, personal and creative view of the city.”
Francesco Cesarano, coordinator of the Castellammare di Stabia Youth Forum, stresses the role of the younger generation: “This project genuinely puts young people at the centre, giving them the opportunity to express themselves through an immediate, contemporary language such as audiovisual storytelling. It will be fascinating to discover the city through their eyes and stories.”
Michele, Raffaele and Mariano from Visit Castellammare also support the initiative: “A short film, a report or even a simple social video can become a powerful way to show the places, people, traditions and identity of our city. At Visit Castellammare, we have always believed in the strength of visual communication to make the area known and valued.”
The works will be assessed by a jury appointed by ISFF and the Youth Forum. Criteria will include the ability to portray Castellammare, originality, and the artistic, narrative and technical quality of the submitted works.
Entries will remain open until 11:59 pm on 25 October 2026. Selected finalists may be screened during the 2026 International Sport Film Festival, and winners will receive the official ISFF statuette.