Arctic Open

Welcome to ARCTIC OPEN International Film Festival!
Now heading into our eighth season, we are happy to open the Fest for submissions.

ARCTIC OPEN IFF is hosted in Arkhangelsk, Russia and is looking to showcase the feature films, shorts and documentaries released in 2023-2024 and dedicated to the life and culture of northern communities, indigenous peoples, fragile Arctic nature, or challenges faced in today’s world - the sort of films that tell a story and would make people think. Or laugh, or cry, shock or surprise.

ARCTIC OPEN screens local and international professional or first-time filmmakers, celebrating the best in the Arctic-related filmmaking from across the globe. All submissions and participation are free of charge.

Spread over 4 days in December, this year's festival features 15 screening venues in six municipalities of Arkhangelsk and not only, networking events, Festival Films Night, ARCTIC OPEN-Children, Film School “North”, FILMOptics: Screenwriting workshop, FILMArt: motion designers and cartoonists lab, FILMQuest: public IT quest “Make Your Movie!", FILMChance: Russian Arctic animated film idea pitching, FILMEthno: Alex Rostotsky’s Jazz Bass Theater project, FILMExpo: “Mosfilm’s 100th Anniversary” talk on the history of costume, VR CINEMA – Mini Web Series “Tolstoy & Turgenev”, meet-the-artist sessions, and more.

With 15 nominations within 4 categories, ARCTIC OPEN aims to:
- select and promote the best films made in 2023-2024 domestically and globally;
- provide filmmakers with the opportunity to interact with audiences at Q&A sessions, screenings, and social events;
- provide networking opportunities to film community members;
- provide training opportunities to ealry-career filmmakers;
- give filmmakers and production teams a chance to travel to a destination known for its Northern Russian hospitality, which once was Russia’s first and only gateway to Europe.

The films accepted in our official selection and non-competition program will be shown as part of our events and campaigns into 2025, including venues in Saint-Petersburg, Moscow, and the Komi city of Syktyvkar. We offer publicity across a wide range of regional and federal media (print and social).