The National Committee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Carlo Rambaldi, with the support of the Carlo Rambaldi Foundation, has established two scholarships dedicated to young Italian talents interested in further developing their training in the field of cinematic special effects.
The initiative celebrates the creative and visionary legacy of Carlo Rambaldi, an artist and innovator who redefined the relationship between technology and imagination in cinema. Throughout his career, he won three Academy Awards for King Kong (1976), Alien (1979), and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
The two winners will have the opportunity to enhance their skills through one year of online training at the Stan Winston School of Character Arts, a leading international institution for the study of special effects and character creation.
In addition, the program includes an immersive experience in Los Angeles from October 11 to 17, 2026, featuring meetings, professional visits, and tours of Hollywood FX studios. The scholarship recipients will therefore be able to explore different areas, including visual techniques, makeup FX, animatronics, and digital technologies.
Requirements and participation guidelines
The call is open to Italian citizens between the ages of 21 and 35 who hold a diploma or a degree, including a three-year undergraduate degree, in the artistic, technical, or film-related fields.
Candidates with proven training in the field of special effects may also apply.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on August 30, 2026, exclusively via email at info@carlorambaldi100.com.
The selection process will be managed by the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Carlo Rambaldi, which will assess the technical and creative quality of portfolios, the consistency of applicants’ educational backgrounds with the project’s objectives, their motivations, and their professional prospects.
The full call and application form are available on the official website www.carlorambaldi100.com.
Rambaldi’s legacy as a bridge toward the future of cinema
The scholarship program is part of the initiatives promoted for the Centenary of Carlo Rambaldi and confirms the Committee’s commitment to preserving and promoting the Maestro’s legacy.
A central figure in the history of international cinema, Rambaldi created characters that became part of the collective imagination and represent the meeting point between creativity, art, and technology.
In 2025, on the occasion of the centenary of Carlo Rambaldi’s birth, major institutions such as the Academy Museum in Los Angeles and MoMA in New York celebrated his work through two retrospectives.
In the same year, the Carlo Rambaldi Foundation presented the immersive project Alien Perspective in Venice.
Through these scholarships, Rambaldi’s artistic and visionary legacy becomes a concrete training opportunity for young talents, creating a bridge between Italy’s tradition in special effects and the international film industry.
Photo Credits: Gaetano Del Mauro, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
