Seizure

Giffoni Film Festival, Gdf investigates alleged financial loss of 478 thousand euro

The hypothesis is that the Ente Autonomo Giffoni Experience has diverted part of the public funds received to an association chaired by the wife of the artistic director of the Giffoni Experience

by Pietro Menzani

26 May 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Between 2016 and 2024, the Ente Autonomo Giffoni Experience may have been responsible for €478,769 in fiscal damage. This is what emerges from an investigation carried out by the Guardia di Finanza of Naples, which, on behalf of the Regional Prosecutor's Office for Campania of the Court of Auditors, served an invitation to deduce and a formal notice on the Entity, its artistic and organisational director, and the Single Project Manager.

Public funds

The investigation revolves around public funds that were allegedly disbursed by the Campania Region for the Giffoni Film Festival, the film festival for children and young people that enlivens the town of Giffoni Valle Piana, in the province of Salerno, every July.

The criminal police have seized bank accounts and state and regional credits attributable to the addressees of the measure, up to the total contested sum, taking into account monetary revaluation and interest.

Specifically, the Gdf came into the crosshairs of the Gdf in connection with direct contracts awarded between 2016 and 2024 to a cultural association operating in the management of social activities related to the film event.

The association in question is chaired by the wife of the Giffoni Experience artistic director, while the only employee is the couple's daughter.

The diagram

According to the reconstruction, part of the public funds intended for the Festival was diverted to the association. The operation would have taken place through entrusting presented as social inclusion and solidarity services. However, the investigations revealed that, in essence, the entrusts would have been nothing more than 'a form of stable and continuous contribution not adequately documented'.

The pattern would repeat itself every year: social projects with a generic content - from awareness-raising campaigns to assistance and inclusion, via charitable initiatives and support services - would be presented and then included in publicly funded expenditure.

And the assignments, conferred every year for practically identical amounts, would have been accounted for within the framework of European and regional contributions obtained by the organisation. The investigation also revealed that a large part of the funds received - almost exclusively resources from the Giffoni Film Festival assignments - would have been used to cover the cost of the only employee.

Many of the social activities undertaken by the association were in fact carried out free of charge by third parties or partner associations, while the expenses incurred were allegedly 'modest, scarcely relevant or without direct connection to the activities reported'.

Conflicts of Interest

Finally, a possible conflict of interest between the management of Giffoni Experience and the association was detected. The artistic director of the organisation in some years would have certified the regular execution of the services covered by the assignments, while the Single Project Manager - and also in this case family relations with the beneficiary association emerged - would have certified to the Region the regular execution of the services and the conformity of the administrative procedures.

The result was that expenses were presented as eligible that the investigations instead found to be non-compliant with reporting requirements and disconnected from the purpose of public funding.

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