The PAF Tachov Festival is an international cultural and competitive festival focused on underwater photography and film.
This major international event has been held for 48 years in the western Bohemian town of Tachov. The festival is a showcase of films focusing on underwater themes. The festival is open to both amateurs and professional filmmakers.
An integral part of the festival is a category of films presenting water and events surrounding it in various forms.
www.paftachov.cz

Awards & Prizes

The festival offers prizes and trips worth a total of €18,000.
The Grand Prix is awarded across all categories.
Three main prizes made of Czech glass in the workshop of academic artist Zdeněk Petr are awarded in each category.
Details about the prizes can be found on the festival website: www.paftachov.cz

Rules & Terms

The festival is open to both professional and amateur works.
Three main prizes are awarded in each category.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Categories – Diving / Underwater films
• 1A – Amateur Films
Maximum total length: 20 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
• 1B – Professional Films
Films shot professionally or with professional participation. Maximum total length: no limit.
At least 30% of the works competing in categories 1A and/or 1B must be filmed underwater.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category – Films about water
Films that – in various ways – present water and life around it.
• 1C – Amateur films
Maximum total length: 20 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
• 1D – Professional films
Films shot professionally or with professional participation. Maximum total length: no limit.
Works in categories 1C and 1D do not have to contain underwater footage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the film is in a language other than Czech or Slovak, a dialogue sheet with time codes in English is required.
By entering the competition, the author declares that they are the owner of the copyright to the competition entry.
1 Review
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Christian Wehrle

    A really lovely and memorable festival experience.

    At first, when you arrive in the town, you might think: “oh wow, okay…” — but then the festival starts and you realise what a fantastic place this actually is for an event like this. The cinema is excellent, the atmosphere is special, and the whole festival has a lot of heart.

    A lot of the programme was in Czech, but thanks to my Bluetooth headphones and live translation, that was no problem at all. I still had a great time and really enjoyed the films.

    One thing I especially loved was how much space the festival gave to children and younger participants. The awards for kids were a really beautiful idea — very sweet, very human, and exactly the kind of thing that gives a festival its soul.

    And yes — ballroom dancing at an underwater film festival?! I definitely did not expect that, but it somehow made the whole experience even more memorable.

    Thank you very much for having me. I’m very proud to have received 2nd place in the professional underwater category for my documentary HIDDEN WORLDS, and I will truly treasure that.

    I hope to come back again. My thanks again to everyone involved.

    April 2026
    Helpful