CFA 2025 CREATIVE RETREAT
Conero Film + ADV is excited to share the programme for its third edition.
This year, the event is structured in two parts:
Creative Retreat (September 5–7)
An intimate gathering set in Conero Park, near Sirolo in Italy’s Marche region—nestled between the sea and mountains—designed to foster meaningful connections among like-minded creatives.
Film Festival & Awards (September 7)
A celebratory evening open to a wider audience, featuring screenings and the awards ceremony.
You’ll find the full programme below.
Please note that the exact location of the Creative Retreat will be shared upon confirmation of ticket purchase. Feel free to browse through our FAQs for any other questions.
Friday 5 September, 2025
7:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Welcome Drink + Dinner
Saturday 6 September, 2025
6:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Kayak Trip: Meditation at Due Sorelle / Group A
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Boat Tour: Spiaggia dei Gabbiani, Due Sorelle / Group B
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch on boat / Group A + B
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Workshop at Sea: Music and Emotion in the Age of the Algorithm — with 86Tales + IMAGINE
An immersive workshop at sea on board of our sailing boats, exploring the tension between algorithmic sound and human emotion. Participants journey from data-driven music to embodied sonic creation through humming, field recording, live sampling, and shared harmony. The session culminates in a collective audio piece—crafted not by AI, but by presence, feeling, and collaboration.
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Workshops at Villa Piancarda: Producing Sustainably, From Funding to Filming — with Veronica Ciceri, Giacomo La Monaca, Giandomenico Zeppa, EcoMuvi, ADCOM
Participants are invited to rethink audiovisual production through a sustainability lens. Led by professionals from across the industry, the session explores practical strategies, tools, and perspectives to make film production more environmentally and socially responsible.
Participants will take part in themed roundtable discussions covering each phase of production—from writing to distribution—examining how creative and ecological choices can align and even influence access to public funding. The workshop closes with a collective wrap-up to share insights, challenges, and actionable ideas toward a shared, sustainable production model.
8:00 PM – 02:00 AM
Dinner + Party
Sunday 7 September, 2025
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Beach time
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch at Portonovo
CFA 2025 FESTIVAL
Sunday 7 September, 2025
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Panel 1 — Are Creative Agencies Still Fit for Purpose?
With Bryn Attewell - Executive Creative Director at GOOD Agency, Alkisti Stolp - Twentyrising Co-Founder, Grace Farson - Senior Integrated Producer at Anomaly, Accenture Song (TBC). Moderated by Jason Stone, Editor at David Reviews
As the creative landscape grows more complex—shaped by technology, shifting client expectations, and new models of collaboration—the role of creative agencies is under pressure. How are agencies adapting? How are in-house production units disrupting the traditional system? And what role should agencies play in nurturing emerging talent? This panel will explore the evolving structure, value, and purpose of creative agencies in today’s dynamic environment.
Panel 2 — Ghostnet Campaign: The Invisible Traces of Industrial Fishing by Sea Shepherd
With Enrico Salierno - Co-Founder Sea Shepherd Italia and director Igor d’India
Every year, thousands of tonnes of fishing gear are lost or abandoned at sea, turning into “ghost nets” that continue to trap and kill marine life long after they've been discarded. These invisible threats make up nearly half of the plastic in ocean garbage patches and cause immense damage to marine ecosystems. In this panel, Sea Shepherd presents its Ghostnet Campaign, shedding light on the devastating impact of industrial fishing waste and the urgent need for action to protect our oceans from this silent, ongoing destruction.
Panel 3 — Rethinking Growth: Degrowth, Storytelling, and New Imaginaries
With Katia Falezza - Marketing Manager at ORTOVOX, Ecological Economist Giacomo D’Alisa, and Marianna Ghirlanda - CEO BBDO Italia and President IAA Italy Chapter. Moderated by author and photojournalist Sergio Ramazzotti
This panel explores how the concept of degrowth challenges traditional development models by placing collective well-being and sustainability at the center. While marketing and advertising have historically driven consumption, they can also be reimagined as tools for promoting values such as simplicity, repair, and sharing. In the audiovisual field, this means creating narratives that resist compulsive consumerism and instead foster critical reflection on real needs, time, and human connection—using visual language not to generate artificial desires, but to shape post-consumerist imaginaries.
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
CFA 2025 Official Selection screening, followed by conversation with the directors shortlisted for the Conero Film + ADV Awards, moderated by MarBelle, Editor of Directors Notes.
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Award Ceremony
11:00 PM – 1:00 AM
DJ Set