Cinema in Spiaggia 2025
The short Cinema in spiaggia (beach cinema) festival has come to an end, drawing large audiences: two evenings of film (21 and 22 August 2025) on the free beach next to Bar Ponticello in Rivabella (Gallipoli), organised by Ombra Sociale.
This article has been translated from Italian.
An inclusive cinema with a sea view
The short Cinema in spiaggia (beach cinema) festival has come to an end, drawing large audiences: two evenings of film (21 and 22 August 2025) on the free beach next to Bar Ponticello in Rivabella (Gallipoli), organised by Ombra Sociale – the first innovative, replicable project for inclusive and accessible beaches, selected among the contributions to the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale – in collaboration with Aps Partyvolontario, CineMare Puglia and EventiAvanti.
The screenings took place on one of the most beautiful free beaches in Salento, with each film preceded by talks on accessibility and the environment.
Speakers included Angelo Guerrieri (founder of Ombra Sociale), Prof. Lucia Fanini (University of Salento) and Prof. Pasquale Russo (University of Naples Federico II), who discussed coastal ecosystems, geology and the protection of Mediterranean beaches.
Innovation and protecting the sea
There was also space for Coste360.it, a technology platform that has joined the Copernicus programme and can monitor how the coastline changes and how much sand is available on beach plots: essential tools for more informed and sustainable management of state-owned coastal land.
A large turnout
More than 100 people came to the first evening (despite strong winds) and almost 200 to the second, confirming the success of a format that combines the tradition of travelling cinema with a commitment to accessibility.
A clear message: the sea as a common good, the beach as a space of rights.
The photo contest “Il mare è di tutti”
Alongside the screenings, Ombra Sociale, together with PartyVolontario and EventiAvanti, promoted a photo contest, “Il mare è di tutti” (“The sea belongs to everyone”), which received more than 90 photos from Italy and abroad.
The joint winners were Lorenzo Zeuli (Busto Arsizio) with “Tutti al mare” and Aldo Bartimoro (Milan) with “Il mare si fotografa sempre”.
A special tribute was paid to Gianni Berengo Gardin, master of Italian social photography.
