Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival Returns With Global Stars and International Films

• The 23rd edition of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival of Comedy (Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie) is underway at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco from Wednesday, 11 November to Saturday, 14 November 2026.
• Held under the High Patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Embassy of Italy, the four-day festival showcases international comedy cinema with free public screenings prior to the closing ceremony.
• More than 80 films were considered during selection, resulting in a programme featuring seven feature films in official competition, one out-of-competition opening feature, and four competing short films.
• The festival opened on Wednesday, 11 November with an out-of-competition screening of Italian director Leonardo Pieraccioni’s comedy Un weekend artificiale, alongside four short films competing for the Short Comedy Award.
• Festival president Ezio Greggio highlighted strong international participation from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United States.
• The festival will conclude on Saturday, 14 November with an awards gala honouring acclaimed French director Luc Besson and Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto, judged by a jury presided over by filmmaker Fausto Brizzi alongside Paul Belmondo and Vanessa Incontrada.

Monaco (Monaco Weekly Newspaper) November 12, 2026 – The 23rd edition of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival of Comedy (Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie) is currently taking place at the Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco, running from 11 November through 14 November 2026. Founded and presided over by Italian actor, director, and television presenter Ezio Greggio, the festival brings together international comedies selected from more than 80 submissions across Europe and North America. Following an opening day featuring Leonardo Pieraccioni’s Un weekend artificiale and four competing short films, the four-day event will culminate in a Saturday evening awards gala honouring French filmmaker Luc Besson and Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto.

According to official programme announcements and international cultural coverage from Monte-Carlo, the 23rd edition of the festival continues its two-decade commitment to celebrating comedic cinema at the Grimaldi Forum’s Salle Camille Blanc. Operating under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Embassy of Italy, the festival offers free public access to its competition screenings, subject to seating availability, ahead of its closing awards evening.

Commenting on the international breadth of the 2026 lineup, festival founder and president Ezio Greggio pointed to the sustained global reach of the event over its 23 editions. As reported by festival correspondents covering the opening in Monte-Carlo, Ezio Greggio stated: “France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United States… It’s incredibly satisfying to see such international participation, and it’s the result of 23 successful editions”.

As reported by Rita Zimé of Benin Web TV and cultural correspondents at Monaco Chronicle, festival programmers reviewed more than 80 submissions to curate the final programme. The celebration of comedy commenced on Wednesday, 11 November at 3:00 pm with an out-of-competition opening screening of Un weekend artificiale, directed by Italian filmmaker Leonardo Pieraccioni. The comedy centres on seven strangers invited to spend a weekend in a villa to determine which participant is an artificial intelligence humanoid.

Alongside the opening feature, four short films entered the competition for the dedicated Short Comedy Award category. As reported by Radio Monte Carlo, the official radio partner of the event, the four competing short films are Zohra sans permis directed by Pierre-Loup Docteur, Please Hold directed by Donald McQuade, Olive directed by India Santella, and Serenade directed by Eulalie Elsker.

The main official selection comprises seven feature-length comedies competing for the festival’s top honours. As reported by Monaco Chronicle, the official competition opened on Wednesday evening with Altas Capacidades, directed by Spanish filmmaker Víctor García León, which follows a middle-class couple navigating extreme measures to secure their son a place at an elite school. Also competing among the seven international titles is The Invite, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde alongside Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, and Seth Rogen, which examines marital tensions surfacing during a dinner party with neighbours.

As reported by Nunzio Zeccato of SuperGuidaTV, the 2026 competition entries are being evaluated by an international jury presided over by acclaimed Italian director and screenwriter Fausto Brizzi, joined by French actor and former racing driver Paul Belmondo and Spanish-Italian actress and presenter Vanessa Incontrada.

The festival will conclude on Saturday, 14 November at 7:00 pm with a closing awards gala hosted by Ezio Greggio at the Grimaldi Forum, with gala tickets priced at 50 euros. During the ceremony, the festival will present special career tributes honouring French director Luc Besson and Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto for their contributions to international cinema.

What Films and Categories Are Featured in the 2026 Monte-Carlo Film Festival Programme?

Curated from more than 80 international submissions, the 23rd edition of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival of Comedy is structured into three distinct programme sections:

• Out-of-Competition Opening Screening: Opened on Wednesday, 11 November with Leonardo Pieraccioni’s Italian comedy Un weekend artificiale, exploring human suspicions around artificial intelligence inside a secluded villa.
• Official Feature Film Competition: Seven international feature comedies from countries including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United States—featuring titles such as Víctor García León’s Altas Capacidades and Olivia Wilde’s The Invite—competing for the main jury awards.
• Short Comedy Award Competition: Four international short comedies competing in a dedicated category: Zohra sans permis (Pierre-Loup Docteur), Please Hold (Donald McQuade), Olive (India Santella), and Serenade (Eulalie Elsker).

How Is the 2026 Festival Organised and Who Are the Key Figures?

A summary of the key institutional participants, dates, and honourees outlines the operational framework of the 23rd edition:

Background of the Particular Development After the News

Founded in 2001 by Italian comedian, actor, and director Ezio Greggio, the Monte-Carlo Film Festival of Comedy was established with the specific mission of elevating comedy cinema—a genre frequently overlooked in major dramatic film competitions—to formal critical recognition. Over 23 editions, the event has grown into one of Europe’s primary specialist film festivals, consistently attracting international distributors, filmmakers, and actors to the Principality of Monaco each autumn.

The festival operates under the institutional backing of the Monegasque Princely Palace and Italian diplomatic representatives, reflecting the close cultural and linguistic ties between Monaco, France, and Italy. By pairing free public daytime and evening screenings with a formal black-tie closing gala, the festival functions both as an accessible cultural showcase for local Riviera audiences and as an international promotional platform for European and American comedies ahead of winter theatrical releases.

How This Development Can Affect Filmmakers, Riviera Audiences, and International Distribution

The successful staging of the 23rd Monte-Carlo Film Festival of Comedy and its recognition of high-profile European cinema figures will generate several notable outcomes across the film and cultural sectors:

1. Independent and International Comedy Filmmakers

For the directors and producers of the seven competing features and four short films selected from over 80 entries, screening at the Grimaldi Forum provides critical European visibility. Awards decided by Fausto Brizzi’s jury offer valuable promotional leverage for theatrical and streaming distribution deals across France, Italy, and wider international markets.

2. Local Residents and Cultural Visitors in Monaco

For residents of the Principality and visitors along the Côte d’Azur, the festival’s policy of offering free admission to official competition screenings ensures broad public access to premieres of international films—such as The Invite and Un weekend artificiale—before their general commercial release.

3. Franco-Italian and European Cinema Collaboration

For the broader European film industry, honouring major creative figures such as French filmmaker Luc Besson alongside Italian actor-director Sergio Castellitto reinforces Monaco’s role as a cultural bridge between French, Italian, and international cinema, encouraging ongoing cross-border co-productions and talent exchanges.