Cinetour 2026: New International Board of Directors for Tourist Festivals Born Can Saraçoğlu Reconfirmed as President

Piero Pacchiarotti Joins the Board, Placing ITFF at the Center of the Global Network.

Cinetour, the International Committee of World Tourist Film Festivals, has announced its Board of Directors for 2026—a refreshed team uniting sustainable cinema leaders from every continent. At the helm is Can Saraçoğlu (Turkey) as President, with Carlos Sadegas (Portugal) and Pat Battistini (USA) as Vice Presidents, and Irina Khangoshvili (Georgia) as Secretary General. The General Assembly includes Piero Pacchiarotti (Italy), Marcello Zeppi (Italy), Enrique Lepehne (Germany), Alfredo Corte Real (Portugal), Davide Mangano (Italy), Leila Berhouma (Tunisia), Anna Kurinnaia (Ukraine), James Byrne (South Africa), Anna Rita Caracciolo (Italy), Ken Takahashi (Japan), Lea Teixeira (Portugal), and Ganimete Sava (Kosovo). The board reflects Cinetour’s explosive growth, born in 2022 in Istanbul to connect sustainable festivals focused on tourism, documentaries, and short films.

Piero Pacchiarotti, promoter of territorial cinetourism and a founding member of the circuit, brings the experience of the International Tour Film Festival (ITFF) in Civitavecchia, highlighting its contributions to co-production projects and intercultural dialogue inspired by the UN’s 2030 Agenda. The ITFF, renowned and awarded both in Italy and abroad, celebrates its 15th edition as one of the pillars of a network that already includes 120 festivals in 68 countries, fostering co-productions and intercultural dialogues.

With this new structure, Cinetour accelerates toward a future of global collaborations, positioning Italian cinematic tourism at the forefront thanks to Civitavecchia’s ITFF.

These new synergies will already translate into the October 2026 edition with joint co-production programs and enhanced international exchanges. Cinetour’s new structure strengthens its mission of sustainability, green cultural exchanges, and global cooperation, ready for new challenges while celebrating a cinema that innovatively unites territories and people.