RIFF_Kids at the Reggio Calabria Archaeological Museum (21-23 May 2026)

From 21 to 23 May 2026 the Reggio Calabria Archaeological Museum becomes a hub for educational cinema and training by hosting RIFF_Kids, the Rhegion International Film Festival section dedicated to schools. The program involves over 1,000 students and combines screenings, educational activities and meetings with filmmakers and audiovisual professionals.

Program highlights

• Morning screenings tailored to school audiences, focusing on documentary, animation and themes of memory;
• Workshops and educational sessions to foster critical reading of audiovisual language;
• Dialogues with directors and industry professionals on the intersection between cinema and cultural heritage;
• Awards ceremony on 23 May during the European Night of Museums 2026, where students will vote for the best film;
• Preview screening of the documentary "The Hellenistic Necropolis of Rhegion: Report on Recent Excavations," directed by Lorenzo Daniele.

The documentary documents recent archaeological excavations beneath the museum area, bringing to light Hellenistic tombs that remained untouched since early 20th-century interventions. The film blends scientific reporting with contemporary storytelling to make the research accessible to a wider public.

Venues: Reggio Calabria Archaeological Museum spaces and Cinema Odeon.
Dates: 21–23 May 2026. Final ceremony and awards on 23 May during the European Night of Museums.

Organization and partners

The project is produced by the Associazione Culturale Archeovisiva ETS as part of the National Plan Cinema and Images for Schools (CIPS) and is supported by the Ministry of Culture – Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual and the Ministry of Education and Merit. Partners include the Cineteca della Calabria, the Academy of Fine Arts of Reggio Calabria and the Circolo del Cinema C. Zavattini.

The museum director, Fabrizio Sudano, underlines that the initiative strengthens the museum's role as a site of cultural exchange and experimentation, engaging young people directly with archaeological heritage through film and educational activities.

For teachers and schools, RIFF_Kids offers a concrete chance to integrate audiovisual language into the curriculum and to bring students closer to the discoveries and conservation work carried out at the archaeological site.