In “Il racconto dei festival: storia, archivi, fonti, memorie”, Bologna, 17 December 2024.

The Mostra Internazionale del Cinema Libero (1960-1986) played a key role in the landscape of Italian film festivals, aiming to promote a cinema of social engagement and critique, in stark contrast to traditional festivals. This paper retraces the history of the festival through an analysis of archival materials preserved at the Renzo Renzi Library of the Cineteca di Bologna, including documents, catalogues, and press clippings. The evolution of the festival across its various editions is explored, highlighting its role as a space for critical debate and its openness to cinematographies marginalized by the mainstream circuit. The paper also delves into critical reception, the role of participants — both Italian and international — and the cataloging work conducted on the materials, with the goal of enhancing and preserving the historical and archival heritage of the festival.