“Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival” is an annual thematic Film Festival that takes place in a different Balkan city each year. It celebrates Balkan diversity and engages audience and creators to reflect on pressing contemporary issues through the medium of short film. The festival is framed by other cultural events like photo exhibitions, visual art events, master classes, live bands, networking events.
The 13th Edition develops upon the title ‘Untiling the Mosaic’. Our world is a mosaic composed of tiles so different from one another. Differences in sex, in religion, in beliefs, in history, in perceptions, in taste, in financial or societal status. We used to consider differences as a source of enmity. Later on, we realized that we must learn how to live together with our differences but we haven’t been taught how to do it. It is about time to "untile" the tiles of our world's mosaic. To reintroduce the difference and what's the impact it has on us and therefore find ourselves "anew in an untiled mosaic” where the difference is not something that needs special treatment but it is a solid part of our being.
We invite young filmmakers to get inspired by this year’s topic and send their film until the 20th of May. We accept all film genres (fiction, animation, experimental and documentary shorts, as well as digital arts) with duration up to 30 minutes. Eligible submissions are a) those from filmmakers up to 35 years old or older than 35 under the condition that their submitted film is their debut b) with their origin from a Balkan country or/and their film to be a Balkan production and c) connected to the festival’s topic. All submissions will go through our Preselection Committee which consists of young professionals from the film industry ensuring that finalists meet all eligibility criteria. The final Jury Team consisted of well known professionals from the film industry in the Balkans will select the BBB BEST FILM which will get the first prize and 1000 euros. The other Prizes are BBB FIRST ENTRY, Special Mentions and the BBB AUDIENCE AWARD.
BBB gives the opportunity to the next generation of film makers to create, share and present their films, meet and collaborate. The main objective of BBB is to motivate young people to make use of their creativity in order to reflect on issues of concern in their region.
2022 Destination: Bitola,
Since 2010 the Festival has taken place in 10 cities (Belgrade, Tirana, Athens, Bucharest, Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, Sofia, Brussels, Novi Sad and again Athens), Izmir and Pristina featuring over 380 Balkan and over 200 non-Balkan short films. In every Festival we invite participating directors, guest speakers, BBB Ambassadors and local partners in order to create a hub for productive networking and cooperation among the region’s stakeholders. It is all about a growing community of artists, researchers, journalists, and partners. Next destination will be Bitola, North Macedonia where we are going to expand the BBB growing community of artists, researchers, journalists, and partners in the region.
Best Film Prize (1000€)
Audience Prize (300€)
New Entry Prize (400€)
