The festival’s theme for 2026 is “Crossroads of Cultures.” We invite submissions of films that focus on the interconnections and dialogue between cultures, exploring and creatively interpreting the diversity of the modern world through the lens of cultural intersections.
OBJECTIVES OF THE FESTIVAL – Presentation of films, film programs by various directors and festivals to a wide Novosibirsk audience and the surrounding region; - To foster a creative atmosphere and facilitate interaction between viewers and documentary filmmakers; - To organize seminars and master classes on issues related to documentary filmmaking.

Awards & Prizes

The competition as a part of the “Meetings in Siberia” International Documentary Film Festival is held within the main program in the following categories:
- Grand Prix – the Ella Davletshina Award;
- Best Feature-Length Documentary;
- Best Short Documentary;
- Best Documentary in the Student Competition.

The prizes do not include monetary awards. The organizers, the jury, partners, and festival audiences may award additional prizes.

Rules & Terms

The festival features Russian and international documentary films completed no earlier than January 1, 2024. A distribution certificate is not a mandatory requirement. Preference is given to Russian premieres. Films must not exceed 60 minutes in length. In exceptional cases, a film may be longer than 60 minutes. The content of the films must align with the thematic focus “Crossroads of Cultures.” The student competition accepts documentary films created by students of film schools and relevant university departments.

Films selected for the festival upon agreement may be screened throughout the year at non-commercial cultural screenings at the Pobeda Culture and Recreation Center and the Novosibirsk Museum of Documentary Cinema. Applicants must indicate on the application form whether they consent to non-commercial screenings for cultural and educational purposes. In such cases, agreements with rights holders regarding the terms will not concluded after the film is selected for the festival program.

PARTICIPANTS
Film and video studios, television companies, independent producers, and any holders of copyrights to the submitted films are eligible to participate in the festival.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Each applicant must submit films that haven’t been previously entered into the festival to the selection committee via the festival website http://www.docfest.ru. The application must include a film profile and a link to a preview version of the film.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications will be accepted from March 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. Applicants must complete the film form electronically and provide a link to download the film. The form is available on the festival website http://www.docfest.ru. Submission of an application to participate in the Festival implies full agreement with the provisions of these Regulations.

SUBMISSION OF FILMS
— Filmmakers whose films have been selected for the competition program will be notified no later than September 1, 2026;
— Films for screening must be submitted to the Festival no later than September 5, 2026. Films will be accepted for screening in MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (1920/1080), and DCP formats.
— The time and place of the screening will be determined by the Festival;
— If a film is in a foreign language (other than Russian), it must have English subtitles.
— If a film produced in a foreign language (other than Russian) is included in the competition program, the film’s text (script) must be provided in English for translation into Russian, as well as a copy of the film in its original language without English subtitles.

TERMS FOR RECEIVING FILMS
The Festival Management guarantees that it will not use or transfer films to third parties for commercial purposes, and reserves the right to use excerpts (no longer than 3 minutes) from the films in special programs and the Festival’s promotional and informational materials.