The International Alexandria Short Film Festival (IASFF) is an annual event celebrating short films from around the world. This year’s festival theme is "Tales from the Balkans", with a focus on showcasing emerging filmmakers, particularly those from the Balkans, alongside global voices in the international short film industry. We invite filmmakers from all over the world to submit their films to our two competitive sections:

International Competition Section

Balkan Young Filmmakers Competition Section

Awards will be given to the best films in the following categories:

Best International Film

Best Balkan Young Filmmaker

Audience Award

Additional special awards may be introduced at the discretion of the festival.
Prizes will be awarded to the winning films, and further details on the nature of the prizes will be provided to the selected filmmakers.

1) Eligibility Criteria

International Competition Section:

Open to all filmmakers worldwide.
Films must be in short film format (up to 30 minutes in length).
Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.
Films previously submitted to the International Alexandria Short Film Festival in any prior year are not eligible.

Balkan Young Filmmakers Competition Section:

Open exclusively to filmmakers from Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia).
Filmmakers must be students currently enrolled in a public or private film school in one of the listed Balkan countries.
Films must be in short film format (up to 30 minutes in length).
Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.
Films previously submitted to the International Alexandria Short Film Festival in any prior year are not eligible.

2) Film Format and Language

All films must be submitted in digital format (preferred: .mp4 or .mov files).
Films must have English subtitles (either embedded or srt file) if the original language is not English.
The aspect ratio must be 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3 (standard).
No other formats or file types will be accepted.

3) Notification and Screening

Selected filmmakers will be notified via FilmFreeway by August 15, 2025.
Only films selected for the competition will be screened at the festival.
The festival reserves the right to show the selected films during the festival’s duration and at future festival-related events or screenings.

4) Rights and Permissions

By submitting your film, you grant the International Alexandria Short Film Festival the non-exclusive right to use clips (up to 3 minutes) and images from the film for promotional and marketing purposes related to the festival (e.g., in the official festival trailer, press releases, and social media). You also confirm that you hold the necessary rights for any third-party content (e.g., music, footage) used in your film and that no legal claims will be made against the festival organizers.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Alexia Tsouni

    A great festival with a very interesting selection of films from around the world. Well-organised and with a high level of hospitality and networking too. Congratulations and thank you so much for including our film!

    December 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your kind words, hope to see you again!

  • Antigoni Karnesioti

    Μια εκπληκτική εμπειρία, διασυνδέσεις με άλλους καλλιτέχνες του χώρου, φροντίδα από τους διοργανωτές, masterclasses! Ευχαριστούμε για όσα ζήσαμε!

    August 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Ευχαριστούμε πολύ για τα θερμά σας λόγια και την όμορφη κριτική!

  • Kaan Orgunmat

    It is a festival put together by beautiful film-loving people and by the locals of the quaint little Alexandria. The organizers manage to create an authentic and intimate experience. I definitely recommend it if you want a genuine Greek experience!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We hope to welcome you back in the future!

  • It's an Amazing festival!!!! Thank you!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your kinds words!

  • Lambros Papathanasiou

    A well organized festival, from the warmest people. A jewel in the town of Alexandria and a true home for every film filmmaker! Thank you for screening my film and for the warm hospitality!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    It was an honor to have you with us, and we hope to see you again in the future! 🎉🎬