MEDFILM FESTIVAL was created in 1995 in order to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Cinema, it firmly believes that Difference is a Value and it supports cooperation among neighboring countries through audiovisual media and High Quality Cinema.

Intercultural dialogue, the social changes taking place in Europe and the ties between the two shores of the Mediterranean are the leading themes of the event, with the aim to explores cultures other than our own trough the magic of cinema.

After 15 editions, the MedFilm Festival remains the only event in Italy to disseminate Mediterranean and European cinema. As in the past, the Festival will offer a rich program comprising of a variety of great feature, short and documentary films, which, for the most part, have never been screened before. They will give us an open and lively view of the key issues regarding Europe and the countries of the Mediterranean.

The Guests of Honor of the 2009 edition will be Morocco and France. The Moroccan cinematography is a young cinematography which is also imposing itself as a production model, whereas French cinematography is a good example of how to become both a laboratory and a creative breeding ground for the talents of the south.
There are many international guests who intervene to present their films and offer direct testimonies of their activities in a vital and stimulating interaction with the public. There are five international juries that include personalities belonging to the world of Art and Cinema and experts who assign awards for each category of the competition.

Among the collateral activities the main one will be the 2^nd Mediterranean Film Forum, which include the MedFilm Co-Production Forum. An important event open to international producers, sales agents and distributors active across Europe and the Mediterranean area, because we believe in the need to create as many opportunities as possible for them to meet and exchange ideas.

For the 9^th year in a row, the Methexis Award will be held: this is part of the Methexis Project, whose main objective is to create a human and professional bond between students of cinema. They are the future protagonists of the Euro-Mediterranean audiovisual scenario seen in a pluralistic and inter-cultural perspective.

MedFilm Festival has the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and the patronage of the Italian Delegation to the European Commission; it is supported by the Ministry for Arts and Culture, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Regione Lazio and by the City of Rome.
The Ministry for Arts and Culture has designated it a Festival of National Interest, and it has become a Historical Manifestation of the City of Rome.