By Jon Donnis
The Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has unveiled the official poster for its 26th edition, taking place in Trieste (North-East Italy) from 3 to 8 November.
Created by acclaimed Italian comic book artist and illustrator Spugna, the artwork depicts a huge, deformed post-human creature carefully repairing a small robot it once played with as a child. Despite its grotesque, decayed appearance, the creature retains a fragment of its humanity through this simple act.
“Within this simple yet deeply moving gesture, the poster captures the very essence of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival,” - explains Francesco Cappellotto, Festival creative director - “It is a place where fantastic cinema becomes an opportunity to rediscover that capacity for wonder which adulthood so often threatens to suppress, reminding us how important it is to preserve within ourselves the curiosity, imagination and sense of wonder of our youth.”
Spugna, known for graphic novels including The Rust Kingdom, Fingerless and Rusted Tales, said the poster was inspired by his preference for the biological side of science fiction.
“I have always been fascinated by the ‘biological’ side of science fiction more than its purely mechanical aspect” - said comic book artist Spugna - “So for the poster I immediately gravitated towards the idea of a huge fleshy, muscular post-human creature, somewhat like Tetsuo at the end of Akira, which, despite its grotesque appearance, lovingly busies itself repairing a little robot.”
Festival Artistic Director Alan Jones highlighted the growing mainstream success of science fiction and fantasy, while emphasising the festival's long-standing support for new talent, original content and experimental formats.
The festival will feature international premieres, special guests, talks and events spanning cinema, literature, comics and video games, alongside science communication and technological innovation.
The Politeama Rossetti and Teatro Miela will host the main film programme, while Piazza della Borsa will once again house the Sci-Fi Dome for the third consecutive year. Its programme includes Mondofuturo, IVIPRO DAYS and the Fantastic Film Forum.
The Mondofuturo Literary Award will also return, celebrating the best original science fiction book published in Italy in 2025.
