The 5th Blue Danube Film Festival (16-23 January 2022) will be placed in Vienna and Budapest.

The Blue Danube Film Festival is a film festival, which showcases independent films from all over the world. We encourage creativity and experimentation. We are open to all kinds of films. The Blue Danube Film Festival aims to inspire motivate a talented filmmakers from around the world, who is looking for new forms and explore the various society and human problems.
Films are evaluated by Jury within the context of the category through the filter of generally accepted filmmaking quality criteria (ie.: individual vision, production and aesthetic quality, structure, cinematography, direction, creativity, etc.).

The films will be screened in Vienna or/and in Budapest (if the Covid situation allows).
You can watch movies in a pleasant, friendly environment. The Official Selection will be screened in cinema, Cultural Centre and online (only from Hungary and Austria and we limit the number of tickets that can be sold.) Online only if allowed by the filmmakers.

The films will be screened in English or with English subtitles.

(Films in One-Minute category will be put in the realm of Augmented Reality. With the help of the free AR Go App by MajorDesign, the films of the Official Selection would be screened on Euro and Hungarian Forint banknotes. Right, they will appear on the banknotes and for that, you only need to download the AR Go app. Never before appeared films this way. Be part of this historic opportunity. Find out more about AR Go App at www.argoapp.info )

We are looking forward to the movies!

Awards & Prizes

www.imdb.com/event/ev0025280/2020/1/

7 Categories:

Best Short Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best Feature Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best Super Short Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best Documentary Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best Animation Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best Experimental Film - Prize Money + Certification

Best One-Minute Film - Prize Money + Certification

All winners will receive Prize Money and Certifications and Gold Laurels, with the "WINNER" label to be used as the filmmaker sees fit for marketing and promotional purpose.

All the movies we choose will receive "Official Selection" laurels to be used for marketing and promotional materials as the filmmaker sees fit.

Special awards:
Depending on the nominating films in each category, the jury will award additional prizes, the "Best Director" or "Special Jury Award" awards. The special awards winners will receive certification.

The Student Jury will also award the best film by category.

Total prize money: 1300 USD. (Short - 400 USD, Feature - 400 USD, Animation - 100 USD, Documentary - 100 USD, Super Short - 100 USD, Experimental - 100 USD, One-Minute Film - 100 USD.)

Rules & Terms

1. Blue Danube Film Festival accepts all forms and genres, produced after January 2019. All films must be in English or have English subtitles. Films that have already participated in the previous Official Selections of Blue Danube Film Festival will not be eligible for the competition.

2. Blue Danube Film Festival only accept digital submissions of HD quality (720p or better).

3. The total length of the Super Short movies is maximum 5 minutes, of the Short movies is from 5 minutes to 30 minutes, One-Minute movies is maximum 60 seconds, Feature films minimum 75 minutes and the movies in other categories are maximum 30 minutes.

4. Each filmmaker can submit several projects, but each production must be accompanied by a separate entry and fee.

5. All fees are non-refundable.

6. The filmmaker shall certify to have full rights. They are responsible for acquiring copyrights, licenses and releases for media used in their films. The filmmaker will indemnify the organizers of the Festival against all claims, demands, costs, damages, expenses (including legal fees), proceedings and losses resulting from the screening of the film at the Festival or from claims by any third parties.

7. Films submitted must not strengthen the racial, ethnic, religious, gender or politic conflicts, incitement to offenses or other violations of law or must not be pornographic. Applicants whose films does not meet these requirements can be excluded from the competition by the Organizers.

8. By submitting their film, filmmaker gives Blue Danube Film Festival the right to post their posters, trailers, website and social media links on our website. If the filmmaker wants to keep his movie private, we will only mention the movie title, director and a movie poster (if one is available). 

9. The Festival treats all submissions with utmost care and confidentiality. The filmmaker agrees that if his film is selected for public or online screening, the Festival can download it for screening. The filmmaker does not ask any financial compensation for the screening.

10. Official Selection movies can be viewed in cinema, Cultural Centre (Vienna, Budapest) and on www.bluedanubefilmfestival.com website between 16 and 23 January, only from Hungary and Austria. Online only if allowed by the filmmakers. We limit the number of online tickets that can be sold, max. 800 tickets/film/.

11. All selected films and winners will receive the laurels and certificates via email. Money prizes will be sent by transfer.

12. The selected films can be screened by BDFF maximum 2 times after the Festival.

13. In the One-Minute Film category, creators of films selected by the pre-jury allow their works to be viewed on a mobile phone for a limited time, without geographical restrictions, free of charge using the "AR Go App by MajorDesign - (www.argoapp.info)".

14. The jury's decision is final.

15. The Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in regulations or scheduling (COVID situation or other).

13 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Morag Brownlie

    Fantastic festival with a stunning selection - I wish I could have attended . Great coverage and exposure for film makers. Thank you

    February 2022
    Helpful
  • Roberto Telles

    I'm very gratefull to have participated in this festival and honored for the price given to my work.

    December 2020
    Helpful
  • Michael Amter

    Simply outstanding. An excellent festival with wonderful taste. The fine jurists enlisted were talented proven professionals. A clear open mind for experimental endeavors. Greatly appreciate all. Thank you very much.

    December 2020
    Helpful
  • maia iotzova

    Great festival and good communication with the filmmakers.

    December 2020
    Helpful
  • Eflatun Serbay Çelebi

    A festival with highly competent juries and a wide perspective, continues on its way without losing interest in young and dynamic directors. I would like to thank this beautiful festival for hosting me very well.

    November 2020
    Helpful