International Festival of Mountain Films Poprad

34th International Festival of Mountain Films, Poprad, Slovakia
October 14 – 18, 2026

REGULATIONS

1. Mountain Film Poprad Foundation organises the 34th International Festival of Mountain Films. The Festival takes place in Poprad, Slovakia, on October 14 – 18, 2026. The objective of the Festival is to present international productions of mountain films and to encourage development in this field of film art.

2. A mountain film is a feature film, documentary film, or any other audiovisual work set in a mountain environment, dealing with human activities in mountains, or showing the beauty of mountain fauna and flora.

3. The Festival is open to all filmmakers: professionals, freelancers, or amateurs. Each competitor may enter a maximum of three productions. Entered productions may be presented at other festivals (year of production 2024–2026) in parallel.

4. The entered productions may be divided into the following categories:
a) Mountaineering
b) Climbing and free climbing
c) Skiing and ski mountaineering
d) Life in mountains
e) Hiking, mountain tourism
f) Others: paragliding, mountain biking, rafting, caving-mountaineering, etc.

5. Submitted productions must comply with the following technical requirements:
o Video files: mp4, mov, mxf, ProRes (DCP)
o Format: 2D, 3D (left and right files separately for 3D films)
o Resolution: HD, Full HD, 2K, 4K
o Audio: stereo, 5.1, 7.1
o Frame rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, or 60 fps
o Bitrate: 50 Mb/s or higher

6. Each production must be submitted in a separate file. SRT and/or ASS subtitle files are appreciated. Films are screened in 16:9 widescreen format or Cinemascope during the Festival.

Film copies for pre-selection, along with the official Entry Form, must arrive at the mailing or email address below by July 30th, 2026:
Horský film Poprad, n.f.
Nábrežie Jána Pavla II. 2802/3
058 01 Poprad, Slovakia
Tel.: +421 52 77 210 60
Website: www.mfhf.sk
E-mail: horskyfilm@slovanet.sk, horskyfilmpoprad@gmail.com

7. Each production must be accompanied by:
a) Entry Form
b) Dialogue list in one of the following languages: English, Italian, French, or German; productions are screened in their original versions with Slovak subtitles or Slovak voice-over
c) Synopsis for Festival promotion material
d) 3 photographs (format: .jpg, .gif, etc.) for Festival promotion material
e) Director’s CV
f) Film trailer

8. A preselection committee appointed by the Festival Board will select the entries for
competition according to their quality and subject matter. The committee may decide to shift a production from the competition section into a non-competition section.

9. Productions in the competition are judged by an International Jury appointed by the Festival Board. The jury's decision is final. Jury members are not allowed to enter their own productions in the competition.

10. The following prizes may be awarded by the jury:
a) Grand Prix of the Festival
b) Awards of the Festival (left to the Jury’s discretion)
c) Public Choice Award
d) Special prizes donated by public institutions, sports and other organisations, and individuals

Each production may be awarded more than one prize. Each production in the competition will be provided with a certificate of participation at the Festival. Winners of the IFMF Poprad competition will be announced at the award ceremony on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Awards will be sent to the winners after the festival if they are unable to attend the ceremony to receive their award.

11. Transport and insurance costs of a production from the country of origin to Poprad are covered by the applicant. The cost of insurance of a film from the point of its receipt by the Festival to the point of its return to the shipper is covered by the Festival.

12. The applicant hereby provides his/her consent to the Festival Board to show the whole film during the Festival and to use it for non-commercial purposes, such as educational activities and post-festival screenings, only after the Festival.

13. The Festival Board will ask the author (or copyright owner) to provide his/her consent to fur-ther screenings of the film during the IFMF tour/continuation or for Festival presentation ac-tivities.

14. The Festival Board covers accommodation and free entries to festival screenings for two days for one representative (filmmaker, producer, protagonist, etc.) of each production accepted in the competition section. Travelling expenses shall be covered by the representatives.

15. Any complaints or disputes that may arise will be resolved by the Festival Board, whose decision is final.

16. The Slovak original of the regulations shall apply if any difficulties in the interpretation of the present version arise.

17. By sending the Entry Form and the film, the applicant fully accepts the regulations of the 34th IFMF Poprad, Slovakia.

18. By sending the Entry Form, the applicant provides his/her agreement to the processing and filing of the following personal data: name and surname, e-mail, telephone number. The personal data will be filed in the Festival’s database for purposes related exclusively to film screening. This consent may be revoked in writing at any time.