Talking about nature through a camera, showing the secret life of animals and distant ecosystems or simply observing the world around us with different eyes. If you have made a film (even a short one) dedicated to nature, there is an opportunity to show it to the general public of the third longest running festival dedicated to wildlife cinema in the world.
After having explored the hot topic “Domination and coexistence” in 2026, the Gran Paradiso Film Festival is preparing to celebrate its thirtieth edition. This is an important milestone for a ten-year event that fills our eyes with beauty, but above all invites us to look beyond the images, to question ourselves about our relationship with nature and our responsibilities. The event, organized by Fondation Grand Paradis, will return from 19 to 24 July 2027 in Valle d’Aosta, between Cogne, Introd and Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, and then continue in the following weeks in the other municipalities of Gran Paradiso and online.
To participate you do not need to pay any registration fee. Simply submit a work that meets the competition requirements and send your application by February 28, 2027.
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Who can participate in the Gran Paradiso Film Festival 2027?
The competition is open to directors and authors who have made a film dedicated to nature or wildlife. You can submit both a feature film and a short film, but there are some conditions to respect. The works must have been produced after 1 January 2024 and, in the case of short films, cannot exceed 20 minutes in length.
Each director can nominate up to two films, provided that they have not already been selected in previous editions of the festival. The objective is to give space to new perspectives, enhancing works that have animals, habitats and the relationship between human beings and nature as protagonists.
Anyone wishing to participate in the 30th edition of the Gran Paradiso Film Festival must send their application by 28 February 2027. Registration is free and the complete regulations, together with the instructions for submitting the works, are available on the website www.gpff.it.
The prizes up for grabs for the best nature films
To celebrate its thirtieth edition, the Gran Paradiso Film Festival confirms a total prize pool of 11,500 euros, distributed between awards for feature films, short films and special prizes. The most important award is the Golden Stambecco, worth 5,000 euros, for the best feature film chosen by the public. Last year the coveted award went to the film “Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey”, directed by Pippa Ehrlich, which tells the story of the recovery journey of a young pangolin saved from the brutal illegal trafficking of wild animals.
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For feature films there are also the Istambecco d’Oro Junior, worth 500 euros, and the GPFF Online Award, worth 1,000 euros. The short films will also have their awards: the 1,000 euro CortoNatura prize, the 500 euro technical jury prize and the 500 euro GPFF Online Award. Added to these are three special prizes, each worth 1,000 euros: Best Screenplay, Best Image and Scientific Outlook.
This last recognition is particularly representative of the spirit of the festival, which seeks to bring together the rigor of scientific dissemination with the ability of cinema to excite and involve spectators.
Not just experts, the public will also choose the winners
One of the most interesting features of the Gran Paradiso Film Festival is the central role of the spectators. Unlike many other film competitions, in fact, the main prize – the prestigious Golden Stambecco – is awarded directly by the public, called to vote for the works during the screenings.
Even the youngest have a say, thanks to the Junior Golden Ibex, awarded by a jury made up of very young spectators. And those who cannot reach Valle d’Aosta will still have the opportunity to participate: through the GPFF Online Award, a remote jury will be able to watch the films in streaming and vote from their device. The technical jury, made up of image professionals, directors specialized in naturalistic cinema and experts from the scientific and cultural world, will award the prizes for Best Screenplay, Best Image, Scientific Perspective and Best Short Film.
In the heart of Gran Paradiso, a festival that excites and awakens consciences
The Gran Paradiso Film Festival, directed with great passion and competence by Luisa Vuillermoz, is not just a film festival. It is an eagerly awaited event that has managed to build a deep bond with the territory that hosts it over the years; and last year we at greenMe breathed its atmosphere for a couple of days, attending some interesting screenings, including that of the wonderful documentary “Le Chant des Forêts”, directed by the French director and photographer Vincent Munier.
Born in 1984, in the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park, the first Italian national park, the festival has become the third longest-running wildlife cinematography event in the world, which turns the spotlight on crucial issues such as the protection of biodiversity, the climate crisis, the extinction of wild species and respect for the mountains. The event does not limit itself to showing us the beauty of the world; its strength – as well as in the splendid setting of the Aosta Valley – lies in its ability to intertwine imagination, science and commitment to the environment, awakening consciences.
The numbers of the 2026 edition also tell the story of the extraordinary growth of the event: 24 thousand spectators in the hall and online, spread over 18 days and nine locations in the Aosta Valley. In total, 102 events were organized, including 80 film screenings, while digital programming reached 168 hours of streaming. Numbers that confirm how naturalistic cinema can represent a tool for bringing people closer to knowledge of the natural world, reaching even those who cannot physically participate. And the 30th edition promises to be full of surprises and lots of beauty.
