The Trieste Science+Fiction Festival unveils the official poster for its 26th edition: an original illustration by comic book artist and illustrator Spugna, one of the most original and acclaimed creators in contemporary Italian comics.
The image created by Spugna depicts a monumental, deformed, post-human organic creature: a being now deteriorated and monstrous, corrupted and transformed by time, yet one that retains a fragment of its humanity as it carefully repairs a small robot it used to play with as a child. “In this simple yet deeply moving gesture, the poster encapsulates the very essence of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival,” —explains Francesco Cappellotto, curator of the Festival’s visual identity—“a place where fantasy cinema becomes an opportunity to rediscover that capacity for wonder that adulthood often risks stifling, reminding us how important it is to always cherish within ourselves the curiosity, imagination, and wonder of youth.” The Trieste Science+Fiction Festival thus becomes the place where even what appears irredeemably corrupted can rediscover, through imagination, a fragment of its own humanity: an invitation to cherish the wonder of childhood as the most precious of all future technologies.
“I’ve always been much more fascinated by the ‘biological’ side of science fiction than by the purely mechanical one,” —explained comic artist Spugna—“So for the poster, I immediately gravitated toward the idea of a large, fleshy, muscular post-human creature, a bit like Tetsuo at the end of *Akira*, who, despite an appearance that seems grotesque to us, lovingly plays while repairing a little robot.”
A comic artist and illustrator who is one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary Italian comics, Spugna is the author of the graphic novels *The Rust Kingdom*, *Fingerless*, *Rusted Tales*, and the *Fat Rot Things* series, published by Hollow Press. He has also illustrated the volumes *La quarta guerra mondiale* and *Vita da soldatinen*, based on texts by Marco Taddei, and has collaborated with *Dylan Dog Color Fest* for Sergio Bonelli Editore and with *Cattivik*. A member of the Trincea Ibiza collective, he has received numerous awards throughout his career, including three Boscarato Awards from the Treviso Comic Book Festival and the Micheluzzi “Nuove Strade” Award from COMICON in Naples.
“We are experiencing a moment of extraordinary convergence of enthusiasm,” said the festival’s artistic director, Alan Jones. “On the centennial of the birth of the term ‘science fiction’—coined by pioneer Hugo Gernsback upon the launch of the magazine *Amazing Stories*—the fantasy genre has definitively burst into the mainstream, winning Oscars and the most prestigious international awards thanks to record-breaking independent films. And the box-office phenomenon of the horror film *Backrooms* is further confirmation of how a new generation of filmmakers is blazing innovative trails to success, finding ever-new ways to reach an ever-wider audience. But while the rest of the film world has gradually come around to this vision, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has always known it. In fact, it has always promoted new talent, original works, and experimental formats, transforming its iconic venues into true beacons of intergalactic emotions and boundless wonder. Throughout its extraordinary history, the festival has played a fundamental role in elevating and redefining the perception of the science fiction genre. Once again this year, the festival will offer its diverse audience a selection of thrilling and still little-known titles—works destined to reach a much wider audience thanks to the prestigious seal of quality represented by the Trieste Science+Fiction selection. We look forward to an even bigger, better 2026, full of new and extraordinary revelations.”
Once again this year, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival will bring the best of international fantasy cinema to the Julian capital with premieres, guests, discussions, and events dedicated to science fiction in all its forms: from film to literature, from comics to video games, all the way to the new frontiers of science communication and technological innovation.
The 26th edition also features a packed schedule of events and film premieres, bringing the best of global science fiction productions to the screens of the Politeama Rossetti and the Cinema Ariston. For the third consecutive year, the spectacular Sci-Fi Dome will be set up in Piazza della Borsa—a specially designed structure that will host the festival’s additional events, including Mondofuturo’s sessions dedicated to the intersection of science and science fiction, a series of talks to engage with science communicators about the world of tomorrow, the IVIPRO DAYS, the annual event dedicated to video games as a tool for showcasing the local area and cultural heritage, and the Fantastic Film Forum, a series of events for professionals in the film and audiovisual industries. Also confirmed is the Mondofuturo Literary Award, an award for the best original science fiction book published in Italy in 2025, sponsored by the national research organization Area Science Park and the “La Cappella Underground” Center for Cinematic and Audiovisual Research and Experimentation.
“We are experiencing a moment of extraordinary convergence of enthusiasm,” said the festival’s artistic director, Alan Jones. “On the centennial of the birth of the term ‘science fiction’—coined by pioneer Hugo Gernsback upon the launch of the magazine *Amazing Stories*—the fantasy genre has definitively burst into the mainstream, winning Oscars and the most prestigious international awards thanks to record-breaking independent films. And the box-office phenomenon of the horror film *Backrooms* is further confirmation of how a new generation of filmmakers is blazing innovative trails to success, finding ever-new ways to reach an ever-wider audience. But while the rest of the film world has gradually come around to this vision, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has always known it. In fact, it has always promoted new talent, original works, and experimental formats, transforming its iconic venues into true beacons of intergalactic emotions and boundless wonder. Throughout its extraordinary history, the festival has played a fundamental role in elevating and redefining the perception of the science fiction genre. Once again this year, the festival will offer its diverse audience a selection of thrilling and still little-known titles—works destined to reach a much wider audience thanks to the prestigious seal of quality represented by the Trieste Science+Fiction selection. We look forward to an even bigger, better 2026, full of new and extraordinary revelations.”
Once again this year, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival will bring the best of international fantasy cinema to the Julian capital with premieres, guests, discussions, and events dedicated to science fiction in all its forms: from film to literature, from comics to video games, all the way to the new frontiers of science communication and technological innovation.
The 26th edition also features a packed schedule of events and film premieres, bringing the best of global science fiction productions to the screens of the Politeama Rossetti and the Cinema Ariston. For the third consecutive year, the spectacular Sci-Fi Dome will be set up in Piazza della Borsa—a specially designed structure that will host the festival’s additional events, including Mondofuturo’s sessions dedicated to the intersection of science and science fiction, a series of talks to engage with science communicators about the world of tomorrow, the IVIPRO DAYS, the annual event dedicated to video games as a tool for showcasing the local area and cultural heritage, and the Fantastic Film Forum, a series of events for professionals in the film and audiovisual industries. Also confirmed is the Mondofuturo Literary Award, an award for the best original science fiction book published in Italy in 2025, sponsored by the national research organization Area Science Park and the “La Cappella Underground” Center for Cinematic and Audiovisual Research and Experimentation. 
