Roma Film Music Festival 2026

Rome Film Music Festival, the international event dedicated to the world of film scores, returns for its fifth edition from 16 to 22 March in Rome, ready once again to celebrate the music that makes cinema unforgettable. The festival is held under the artistic direction of Marco Patrignani.

A week of exclusives, major events, meetings and free discussions with leading figures from the industry. The festival comes to life at the Auditorium Conciliazione and in the very places where it was conceived: the Forum Theatre and the Forum Studios, the historic recording studios founded by Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovajoli and Luis Bacalov.

From a tribute to Piero Umiliani to Star Wars, the great protagonists of film music return to the spotlight.

The first three days (16–18 March) are dedicated to the centenary of the great composer Piero Umiliani. A pioneer of jazz in Italy and a central figure in film music, he composed more than 150 film scores, including Big Deal on Madonna Street by Mario Monicelli. He is also the author of the timeless “Mah Nà Mah Nà”, and remains a reference point for young musicians, producers and international DJs, who continue to reinterpret his distinctive sound. Rome Film Music Festival honours him with two concerts and an immersive exhibition, transporting audiences on a multisensory journey through images, sound archives and evocative environments.

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi in Concert will close the festival. The entire film will be shown in high definition on the big screen, while on stage the Italian Cinema Orchestra, in its full 80-piece formation, performs the original score live in perfect synchronisation with the film. Through immortal themes and monumental orchestration, the legendary music of John Williams—etched into the collective memory—will come to life once again with a grand symphony orchestra, 43 years after the film’s original cinematic release.

To mark the centenary celebration, the programme also features an immersive exhibition and concerts by the Gegè Munari Quintet and Calibro 35. Return of the Jedi, performed live in concert, will be presented exclusively and for the first time in Italy with the participation of the legendary Randy Kerber, the pianist behind the soundtracks of Harry Potter and Forrest Gump.

The event is held under the patronage of the Ministero della Cultura and of Assessorato Grandi Eventi, Sport, Turismo e Moda di Roma Capitale.

Find out more at: romafmf.com