ON THE BEACH International Film Festival

IFF ON THE BEACH was founded in 2018. Its first edition was held in Tsarevo, a Bulgarian city by the sea, with the municipality's support and as part of the municipality's cultural calendar. We screened a total of 20 films from 12 different countries. Takahiro Yamaguchi, a director from Japan, was our first international guest. The following edition was held in Sozopol, in the form of three outdoor screenings on the beach, with over 500 people in attendance. The festival's main focus was the "Zero Waste" initiative. We carried out the "Online Pandemic Marathon" action in 2020, which consisted of six online screenings for shared viewing from home. Among them was the world premiere of director Pavel Vesnakov's quartet of short films (in collaboration with Miramar Film) and the screening in collaboration with the Italian Traveling Festival Cinemadamare.

With the support of the Sofia Municipality and the Ministry of Culture our most recent edition in 2023, was held at three location in the center of our capital - Sofia, one of which was the multi-functional amphitheater stage - "Cinema Cabana." The international jury, which included Vernis Klier, Ivaylo Hristov, Maia Vitkova, Yana Titova, and Iliya Volok, was a huge success. Other recent events include the "On the Stream" projection on the theme of water protection as part of the "Rivers of Sofia" festival, as well as actions in collaboration with the "Hristo Botev" community center, Anton village; Subculture Gallery, Yalta Art Room, Chillhouse Bakyovo, "Dog and Dog" bar, "Cinema Culture", "The Steps," and others.

🎥 BG CINEMA CLUB
Monthly film screenings and panel discussions in the "YALTA ART ROOM" space for young art.

🖤 CULTURE WITHOUT BORDERS
Collaboration with the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Paris and the association New Parisian Drama. A selected short film will be selected and screened in Paris and Strasbourg each month.

⛰️ TOUR OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS IN THE SUMMER OF 2023
Outdoor screenings with a mixed program. Main goal - decentralization of the access to culture. Screenings are planned for Koprivshtitsa, Anton, Chavdar, Dolna Malina, Pirdop, Chelopech, and Mirkovo.

🌍 WEEKEND FOR THE WORLD
French Institute in Sofia
A series of documentary film screenings addressing global environmental issues. There will be workshops and a collage exhibition on biodiversity.

🔮 Immersive Pop-up installation
"Under the magnifying glass"

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Sapromat Association. The conceptual project for the art installation "Under the Magnifying Glass" (working title) of Spromat aims to attract the attention of people in urban and non-urban environments through an interactive approach which will enhance the effect of various environmental messages. An openwork geometric construction will be combined with special types of reflective materials and various magnifying lenses (optical lenses, magnifiers, fresnel lenses), through which both plant species and different texts, formed in a special typographic style, can be observed.

🌊 SHORT SEA TALES

Screenings at the Open air Cinema in Tsarevo, in collaboration with Post Office for Stories, and in Sozopol, with the intention of forming a collaboration with the arts festival Apollonia.

🏺EVENINGS IN THE GALLERY
SOCIAL GALLERY SUBCULTURA
Water conservation screenings featuring international marine-themed short films, as well as upcoming short film screenings on a variety of topics in collaboration with Subcultura Social Gallery.

❗The Main Competition Program of the International Film Festival "On The Beach"
The fifth edition of the competitive festival will be held in Kino Kabana in early September 2024, as is de rigueur.❗

Our goal is to provide our filmmakers with multiple opportunities to screen their films, and we are constantly working on expanding our partnerships and screening venues.

So feel free to keep on submitting your wonderful work and we can’t wait to see it all!
Prepare your shorts because we are going strong and we're going to the beach!

Bring your shorts to our festival ON THE BEACH and win the Golden Snail Prize for Best Film!

Be a part of this large scale film event on the Black Sea, screen your film, meet and network with like-minded professionals and enjoy the parties on the beach!

We are now open for new submissions for the 2023 season!

All members of our jury are carefully selected and experienced professionals with degrees in motion picture and live performance.

You can submit your short films under 30 minutes.

All submitted films must be subtitled in English or Bulgarian unless the film is in English or Bulgarian.