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1–4 October 2026 · Massagno

Program

Four days across Cinema Lux, Sala Cosmo, the Massagno schools and the piazza. Competition screenings and retrospectives are ticketed; everything else is free to walk into.

Download the programme (PDF)

Thu 1

Thursday 1 October

One evening on the main screen: the opening ceremony, and the opening film straight after.

  1. 20:30–23:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Opening ceremony · Memory of Princess Mumbi The festival opens and the film follows straight after, in the same room. One ticket covers the whole evening. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
  2. Up next On to Friday →

Fri 2

Friday 2 October

Schools in the morning — those sessions are private — then the first two competition programmes, the conference and the Swiss awards. Food and drink in Piazza Grande from 18:00 to 01:00, alongside the festival.

  1. 09:00–13:00 · Massagno schools · Aula Magna and rooms 1–3 Workshops for middle schools · Luca Botturi Schools only
  2. 10:00–12:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Retrospective · WALL·E Andrew Stanton, Pixar, 2008 · 98 min. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
  3. 10:00–11:45 · Cinema Lux · Sala Cosmo Masterclass for art high schools · Antonella Autuori Schools only
  4. 14:00–15:30 · Cinema Lux · Sala Cosmo Masterclass for scientific high schools · Stefano Peduzzi Schools only
  5. 14:00–15:30 · Cinema Lux · Main screen In competition · Programme 1 Seven shorts, ≈ 60 minutes. Q&A with the directors in the room afterwards. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
    1. Closed Waters Full AI8:34director present
    2. Let’s Play Ball Full AI8:34
    3. The Listening Flower Experimental4:15
    4. The Gosari Monsoon Full AI15:00
    5. Hey, UP!!! Full AI4:30director present
    6. Catatumbo: House of Thunder, Memory, and Dignity Full AI7:31
    7. Rodeo of the Mouse Full AI2:59
  6. 17:00–18:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Forma Aperta presentation · Centro Generativo — Living LAB Open talk and launch of FORMA APERTA, with Felix Bachmann, Kevin Merz, Manuela Bachmann and Simona Gamba. Free entry
  7. 18:30–19:45 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Conference · Alessandro Bavari and Dario Cirrincione Free entry
  8. 20:30–22:15 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Swiss awards and In competition · Programme 2 Swiss Innovator Award and Swiss Press Award, then six shorts, ≈ 60 minutes, with a Q&A with the directors in the room. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
    1. The Descent of Species Hybrid20:59
    2. Little Mes Full AI4:18
    3. Passenger Full AI14:26
    4. Commit Full AI3:44director present
    5. Unum Experimental7:15director present
    6. A Message for the Butterfly Full AI8:08
  9. Up next On to Saturday →

Sat 3

Saturday 3 October

The fullest day: three competition programmes, the roundtable, the conference and the Critics' Award. Food and drink in Piazza Grande from 10:00 to 01:00, alongside the festival.

  1. 10:00–12:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Retrospective · title to be announced The film is being confirmed — we will announce it shortly. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
  2. 10:00–13:00 · Massagno schools · Aula Magna CISA and USI lecture · Alessandro Bavari and Marco Longo Schools only
  3. 13:30–15:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen In competition · Programme 3 Eight shorts, ≈ 60 minutes. Q&A with the directors in the room afterwards. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
    1. Home Hybrid7:15director present
    2. Bronze bust, digital guard Hybrid10:00director present
    3. The Six-Eared Macaque Full AI15:41
    4. What’s Locked Behind That Door? Experimental3:38
    5. Developed Full AI6:56
    6. Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis Hybrid3:49
    7. broken Experimental3:55
    8. Kite Full AI5:23
  4. 14:00–15:00 · Cinema Lux · Sala Cosmo Roundtable With Marco Zaffalon, Colin Porlezza, Javisth Chabria and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay. Moderated by Felix Bachmann (Centro Generativo). Free entry
  5. 15:30–17:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen In competition · Programme 4 Eight shorts, ≈ 60 minutes. Q&A with the directors in the room afterwards. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
    1. The End of the Plastic Age Full AI6:38director present
    2. You Will Always Be Welcome Here Hybrid11:00director present
    3. Data Center by Night Experimental5:50director present
    4. Le drip Full AI4:39
    5. The Morisca Full AI8:33
    6. Bee With Me Full AI9:12
    7. Short Circuit Hybrid3:44
    8. Pillow Men Experimental5:26
  6. 17:30–19:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Conference · Javisth Chabria and Kevin B. Lee Moderated by Felix Bachmann (Centro Generativo). Free entry
  7. 21:00–22:30 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Critics' Award and In competition · Programme 5 The Critics' Award, then seven shorts, ≈ 60 minutes, with a Q&A with the directors in the room. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
    1. AI Manifesto 2026 Hybrid15:39director present
    2. The Howl Experimental4:06director present
    3. The Tale of the Peony Full AI7:57
    4. A Face Only A Mother Could Love Full AI7:50
    5. Between Before and After Full AI8:21
    6. Railbound Hybrid10:00
    7. Malignant / Catatonic Experimental3:00
  8. Up next On to Sunday →

Sun 4

Sunday 4 October

The last retrospective, then the awards ceremony with the winning films, and closing drinks.

  1. 10:00–12:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Retrospective · title to be announced The film is being confirmed — we will announce it shortly. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
  2. 15:00–16:00 · Cinema Lux · Main screen Awards ceremony and screening of the winning films The prizes are handed out and the winning films play straight after. CHF 15.– · reduced 10.– Tickets
  3. Up next One more, the day after →

Outside the festival

Monday 5 October · After the festival

The day after the closing ceremony the festival travels to Bellinzona as a guest of the Swiss {ai} Weeks. This one is outside the festival programme: free, in another town, and with a sign-up of its own.

  1. 16:00 · Palazzo Civico, Bellinzona · Council chamber Swiss {ai} Weeks · Memoria Viva Stories, voices and archives in the age of artificial intelligence. Merge brings a best of the 2026 selection, and artistic directors Dario Cirrincione and Francesco Poloni are in the room. Free · sign-up required
  2. That's a wrap See you in 2027 →