Since the establishment of the Maremetraggio Association in 2000, it has promoted cinematographic activity, the study and diffusion of cinema through the organization of festivals, conferences and professional training courses and workshops. To achieve such goals, the Association organizes ShorTS – International Film Festival (named the Maremetraggio Festival until 2013); a competitive festival dedicated to short films from all over the world and independent Italian cinema. ShorTS IFF aims to promote young Italian and international cinema through a rich-quality program both in film content (shorts, feature films and documentaries) and cultural and secondary activities such as workshops, meetings, special events and gatherings to create links between young emerging talents and professionals in the sector. ShorTS IFF also aims to introduce the genre of the short film to an increasingly young and diverse audience; paying particular attention to school-aged children, with a whole section entirely dedicated to them along with the creation of some workshops. Furthermore, the festival aims to constantly reinvent itself and open itself up to the new frontiers of cinema and virtual technology.
This year the Festival will also carry out work with the Trieste Penitentiary, where every year a jury of prisoners awards the Oltre il Muro Prize to the best Italian short film. From 2015 we have also dedicated a competitive section to short films for children from 6 to 15 years, whose selection is curated by a 14-year-old boy.
