Bucharest Film Awards is an international film competition designed for professionals and film enthusiasts to foster creativity, expressivity and innovation in the cinematic field.

Our mission is to create a platform where both experienced and emerging filmmakers can share their art, develop their work and connect to diverse audiences.

🌎 Based in Bucharest, an iconic city in Eastern Europe, with an effervescent cultural life.

Over the years, the films we love and promote have been hosted by inspiring venues such as:
Cărturești Verona, The Institute, Unteatru Theatre, Deschis Gastrobar Rooftop Cinema - well known among locals and foreigners for creating a favorable atmosphere for exploring cinema & artistic initiatives.

Best Short-Film, Featurette and Feature Film will each receive:

✏ $2,000 of Rights Clearance Labor (2 days) Free of Kurator services
✏ $1,000 of Stock Footage Credit to Nimia.com

Our past editions show emphasis on Innovation, integrating new forms of expressivity adapted to the 21st century film world. So, besides film screenings, we arranged a VR Cinema, Chroma Live Wall for Live CGI, Augmented Reality Screenings, Live Streaming shorts exclusively screened on smartphone platforms and many more!

In 2020 our competition also stepped into the ‘new normal’, facing us with a reshaping process that affected the entire film industry. Our theme was ‘Resilience’ - reflected in the selection, communication & screenings.

Being resilient also means adapting to the changing environments. As physical event planning has become a lot more challenging, only competition-awarded films will be eligible for live screenings at this moment.

But the good news is that new ways of promoting films have emerged. In 2021 we screened the Competition Best-Of, driving the focus to the future of cinema interaction, a hybrid one, where physical screenings intertwine with the focus on a better, faster, safer & easier online screening solution.

Bucharest Film Awards promotes both short & feature-length projects.

All submitted films are reviewed by a jury of film professionals who look for creativity, talent, powerful ideas, quality and attention to details. We consider these criterias more important than previous work experience or the film budget.

The Competition has 18 awards in 3 categories. At this moment, only competition-awarded films are eligible for screenings.

However, there are many other benefits of joining our community, beyond the screenings.

There will be two main categories of films selected at Bucharest Film Awards:

✏ The Official Selection (Off - Competition) - A non-competitional selection showcasing a list of films carefully curated by our programmers

✏ The Official Competition - Winners & Nominees

The difference between the two categories

We believe there is room to promote and curate beyond the walls of a competition. This is why we create a space where incredibly talented filmmakers are acknowledged, without having the pressure of competing with other projects.

We focus on the idea of a network where you can find support for your film, thus making your submission worth it.

From 2021 we offer online screening opportunities to all the films qualified for Official Competition .

Keep in mind that this IS NOT A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT for joining the festival and online screenings will only be provided WITH THE PRIOR PERMISSION granted by the filmmaker.

Our Online Catalogue will be offered in partnership with Filmocracy, a highly secured streaming platform, where you can introduce your content to a worldwide audience.

Your Official Selection comes with benefits

❗All Films accepted in the Official Selection will be given an awesome benefits pack worth $242, very useful for future projects:

✏ Official Selection Laurel

✏ Filmstro 1-Year Pro Licence Exclusive discount worth up to $125

✏ 3 Months Studio License from iPitch TV - worth $117

By having the 125$ services discounts guaranteed for every film accepted in the Official Selection, we make sure that you get rewarded and your benefits of joining the Bucharest Film Awards Community exceed by far your submission fee.

Join us now! Submit now for the 2024 Film Competition.

More details on: www.bucharest-films.com

3 nominations are granted for each of the ‘Category / Individual’ Awards.

Best Short-Film, Featurette and Feature Film will each receive:

✏ $2,000 of Rights Clearance Labor (2 days) Free of Kurator services
✏ $1,000 of Stock Footage Credit to Nimia.com

✏ Live Screening
✏ Filmocracy Screening (only with prior permission from the filmmaker)
✏ 3 Months Filmmaker Pass from Filmocracy - worth $100
✏ Access to Filmocracy Film Market
✏ 12 Months Studio License from iPitch TV - worth $189
✏ 5 Fee Waivers from our festival partners - worth 115$
✏ Professional Film Review
✏ Award Certificate signed by the Festival Director
✏ Official Laurels from the festival

​All category / individual winners will each receive:

✏ Live Screening
✏ Filmocracy Screening (only with prior permission from the filmmaker)
✏ 3 Months Filmmaker Pass from Filmocracy - worth $100
✏ 12 Months Studio License from iPitch TV - worth $189
✏ Professional Film Review
✏ Award Certificate signed by the Festival Director
✏ Official Laurels from the festival

The Category Awards are:

✏ Best Student Film
✏ Best Experimental
✏ Best Animation
✏ Best Documentary
✏ Best Music Video
✏ Best Trailer

The Individual Awards are:

✏ Best Director
✏ Best Screenplay
✏ Best Actress
✏ Best Actor
✏ Best Editor
✏ Best Cinematography
✏ Best Original Score

* For featurette and feature films, we offer the Best Supporting Actor Award and the Best Supporting Actress Award.

The Screenplay Competition

The Winner will receive the following prize pack:

✏ Free Attendance at Filmocracy Scriptwriter Showdown 
✏ 12 Months Studio License from iPitch TV - worth $189
✏ Award Certificate signed by the Festival Director
✏ Official Laurels from the Bucharest Film Awards

The Finalists of the competition will receive:

✏ Award Certificate signed by the Festival Director
✏ Official Laurels from the Bucharest Film Awards

Soundtrack Award

The Winner will receive the following prize pack:

✏ 12 Months Studio License from iPitch TV - worth $189
✏ Award Certificate signed by the Festival Director
✏ Official Laurels from the Bucharest Film Awards

Submissions

You can submit a maximum amount of 2 film projects during a festival edition. If you wish to submit your project again if it wasn’t selected in one of the previous competitions, you need to know that it is possible judging by our festival rules.

Refunds and submission withdrawals are possible, but only before receiving the Selected/Not Selected notification via FilmFreeway.

Every film category comes with an entry fee that varies depending on the category and entry deadline.

Length

Specific project length requirements can be found within the FilmFreeway ‘Categories & fees’ tab.

These are guidelines to help you to better decide if your project is fit:

Trailer - up to 5 minutes
Music Video - up to 10 minutes
Short Film - up to 35 minutes
Featurette - 35-60 minutes
Feature - 60-140 minutes

Submissions format

WE PREFER SECURE ONLINE SUBMISSIONS IN HIGH DEFINITION. Not only is this a more environmentally friendly method for us, but it also allows your film to be reviewed by our screeners/reviewers as quickly as possible.

We only accept films released after 2016 that come in 1080p Full-HD. Films with a poor production standard (lack of sound quality, absence of subtitles/captions for non-English films, video resolution less than 1080p will not be accepted. Any genre and format is accepted.

Subtitles

All non-English language films must be subtitled in English (excepting music videos).
We will require separate English subtitles from all the films selected for the Official Screening. The subtitles will need to come together with the screening file at least a week before the screening date.

Competition

'Bucharest Film Awards' is a competitive event and unless notified otherwise, all films officially selected are eligible for competition.
For a list of competitive categories, please see our Awards page.
All films are nominated and voted upon by a jury of film professionals, from an independent point of view.
All genres and formats are considered eligible for nomination in one or more competitive categories.

Quality is a requirement, this is why we will not accept films with a poor production standard (lack of sound quality, absence of subtitles/captions for non-English films, video resolution less than 1080p HD).
All entries must be available for screening during the festival.

For films chosen to be screened at the Bucharest Film Awards, we require a download link to your submission or you must send a full quality 1080p/DCP file/35mm/Blu-ray/DVD no later than 1 week prior to the festival screening.

From 2021 we offer online screening opportunities to all the films qualified for Official Competition .

Keep in mind that this IS NOT A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT for joining the festival and online screenings will only be provided WITH THE PRIOR PERMISSION granted by the filmmaker.

Our Online Catalogue will be offered in partnership with Shortlist.film, a highly secured streaming platform, where you can introduce your content to a worldwide audience.


Film Review

We believe in the power of constructive critique, so we designed the option to receive a professional film review from our experts in order to provide you detailed feedback on your work. Filmmakers can request the professional review, which includes the entry of the project in the Official Competition as well. The review will be officially listed on our platform per request, also made public on social media channels if needed.

Screenplays

The Screenplay Competition runs on two yearly seasons and will be available exclusively through FilmFreeway. The competition is open to screenplays of any genre, up to 120 pages. Filmmakers can submit a maximum of two screenplays per edition and only one can receive the ‘Screenplay Award’.

There will be quarter finalists, semi finalists and finalists out of which a winner and two finalists will be announced and awarded. The detailed list with awards and prizes can be found in the ‘Awards and Prizes’ section.


Disclaimer and rights

Submission of any entry provides Bucharest Film Awards the permission to have excerpts of accepted work, including film trailers, shown in all promotional activities related to the festival.

We will not publish the whole film on our website, nor will we require exclusivity for our screening event.

Festival does not deal with any copyright issues. All copyright issues should be resolved by the film authors. 

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us, our officers, affiliates, employees, and partners from any and all claims and liability arising out of entering or transmitting your film to the Bucharest Film Awards.

Filmmakers and screenwriters retain 100% all of the rights to their projects and materials that they submit to the Bucharest Film Awards.

Notification

Films selected for the Film Competition will be notified within the timeframe announced on FilmFreeway. If there will be any changes, everyone will be contacted in advance, in order to ensure a smooth selection process. 


Laurels

Filmmakers are allowed to use Bucharest Film Awards laurels on their projects related to this festival. The laurels can be used on any format of posters, visuals, or any sort of media available. After announcing the Official Selection, you will receive an email from the festival, containing the laurels, news & benefits of being part of the Official Selection.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Matteo La Capria

    Great communication. Thank you for our short selection. Happy to have been nominated twice.

    July 2022
  • Robert Haufrecht

    Bucharest Film Awards is a fabulous, I repeat fabulous festival. I have participated twice and will do so again this year and so look forward to it! The hosts are so welcoming, intelligent and knowledgeable. I have met many wonderful filmmakers and made many permanent friends. And have viewed some wonderful films!

    July 2022
  • This is an excellent film festival!!!

    July 2022
  • airflyer Ruan

    It's really good to be selected. Thanks!

    September 2021
  • We are very happy and delighted with this award, it is great news and gives us a lot of strength and energy to keep working.
    Our “Bacchus (Mix)” composition has been Selected into this competition.
    Thank you so much,
    GimEnez Bros.

    August 2021