Mattador International Screenwriting Award

The MATTADOR Award is directed to screenwriters and more generally to anybody who wishes to write screenplays.

The award is aimed at promoting young writers under 30 years of age and is dedicated to an eclectic and talented young man from Trieste. Before his premature death, on June 28, 2009, Matteo Caenazzo’s future as a screenwriter was taking shape, fuelled by his great care and deep enthusiasm.

The Award was instituted with the intention of supporting young talents who choose movie screenwriting as their professional and artistic path, helping them to emerge and show their true value.

It is an invitation to write screenplays that succeed in telling captivating and exciting stories, in harmony with Matteo’s original concept, his awareness of expressing himself, whether in writing or when cultivating all of the other art forms he experimented with, with genuine passion and a free-spirited approach.

The MATTADOR Cultural Association opens the 17th MATTADOR International Screenwriting Award dedicated to Matteo Caenazzo, a young talented artist from Trieste who passed away prematurely on 28th June 2009 while studying and working with the aim of embarking on a career as a screenwriter.

The Award is open to Italian and foreign young authors aged from 16 to 30. 

It includes five sections: MATTADOR Award for Best Feature-Film Screenplay. MATTADOR Award for Best Story. MATTADOR Series Award for best TV Series project. DOLLY Award “Screenwriting with Pictures” for Best Story illustrated through Images. CORTO86 Award for Best Short-Film Screenplay. The following prizes will be awarded: MATTADOR Award for best feature-film screenplay: 5,000 Euros*. MATTADOR Award for best story: 1,500 Euros*.

The top finalists will be awarded a Training Grant and will be supervised by professional screenwriters in developing their projects. At the end of the training programme the best-developed story will be awarded 1,500 Euros. MATTADOR Series Award for best TV Series project: 1,000 Euros*.

The finalists, awarded with a Training Grant, will be accompanied by professional screenwriters in developing their projects. At the end of the training course, the best development work will receive a prize of 1,000 euros*. DOLLY “Screenwriting with Pictures” Award for best story portrayed visually.

The winner will be awarded a Training Grant and will be tutored by professionals in developing his/her story according to the original idea, leading to the preparation of a complete dossier for a feature or animated film project. 

At the conclusion of the training programme, depending on the results achieved, an additional prize of 1,000 Euros* may be awarded. CORTO86 Award for best short-film screenplay, offers a Training Grant and the production of a short film based on the winning short-film screenplay.

The author will be supervised by professional tutors throughout the pre-production, shooting and post-production stages. He/she will sign the direction of the film. 

The winning projects will be published in the editorial series “Scrivere le immagini. Quaderni di sceneggiatura” (EUT/Mattador). 

Works must be sent exclusively online on the https://iscrizioni.premiomattador.it/ platform starting from 15th February 2026.

The subscription fee is confirmed. The delivery deadline is 15th April 2026. The Award Ceremony of the 17th MATTADOR Competition will take place on Friday 17thJuly 2026 in Venice in the Sale Apollinee of the Teatro La Fenice.