The BIF&ST – Bari International Film & TV Festival returns to Bari from 21 to 28 March 2026, marking its 17th edition. Directed for the second consecutive year by journalist and film critic Oscar Iarussi, the festival of the Apulia Region is produced by the Apulia Film Commission Foundation, chaired by Anna Maria Tosto and directed by Antonio Parente, in collaboration with the Municipality of Bari, the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, and numerous other partners to be announced at a later date. BIF&ST 2026 aims to strengthen its international identity, with a particular focus on European and Mediterranean cinema and its ability to foster dialogue between cultures and communities.
In line with this vision, the president of the jury for the Meridiana International Competition will be Roberto Andò, a director and writer, one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary European cinema. Born in Palermo in 1959, and having trained in cinema, theatre and philosophy, Andò has forged a distinctive and rigorous artistic career, collaborating with masters such as Francesco Rosi, Federico Fellini, Michael Cimino and Francis Ford Coppola. His filmography – from Diario senza date to Viva la libertà, from Le confessioni to Il bambino nascosto, right up to the recent successes La stranezza and L’abbaglio – stands out for its ability to weave together memory and current affairs, confirming a perspective deeply in tune with the spirit of BIF&ST and the ethos of the Meridiana competition.
Hosting the opening and closing nights of the 17th edition of BIF&ST, alongside artistic director Oscar Iarussi, will be Irene Maiorino, a multi-talented actress active in film, television and theatre. Having played the role of Lila in the final season of L’Amica Geniale, she will soon appear in the cast of Marco Bellocchio’s Portobello on HBO Max and in the Netflix series La scuola directed by Ivan Silvestrini, as well as on the big screen as Grazia Deledda in Peter Marcias’s Quasi Grazia.
Bif&st is taking part in the celebrations marking the centenary of Dario Fo, organised by the Fo Rame Foundation, with a special event dedicated to the master and Nobel Prize winner for Literature. Lo svitato, a 1956 film directed by Carlo Lizzani, is scheduled to be screened in the presence of Jacopo Fo, who will introduce the screening. Jacopo Fo will also meet with students to bring the younger generation closer to Dario Fo’s cultural and artistic legacy.