2nd PIUFF 2026
Pag International Underwater Film Festival & Scuba Diving Conference
The town of Pag on the island Pag in Croatia
07 - 09.05.2026.

The Pag International Underwater Film Festival (PIUFF) is also the first Croatian international underwater film festival. The festival takes us into the magical world of the underwater realm and showcases talented cinematographers, directors, and producers of underwater films and photography, as well as divers.

All films selected by the expert jury to be included in the festival program and compete for one of the festival awards will be screened over the three days of the festival.

The films will be shown in the representative halls of the 15th-century Rector's Palace located in the main square of the City of Pag. The screenings will be open to the public, allowing a wide audience to enjoy the films.

The goal of the festival is to bring together enthusiasts of the aquatic world, including both filmmakers and divers, as well as anyone interested in what happens beneath the surface of the sea, rivers, and lakes. Therefore, the festival will also feature expert panels with leading specialists in diving, underwater medicine, underwater archaeology, and more. These panels are a part of the event that always attracts professionals as well as a large number of citizens, tourists, curious individuals, and future filmmakers and divers.

The rich festival program will showcase Croatia, particularly the host city of Pag. Festival participants will have the opportunity to explore the city, its landmarks, natural and cultural heritage, and its gastronomy.

Awards & Prizes

PIUFF 2026 AWARDS:

Best Film - PIUFF Grand Prix
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Editor
Special Jury Award for Excellence
Special Jury Award for Croatian film

All awarded authors who will attend the awards ceremony at the end of the festival will be presented with framed certificate plaques, while awardees who are unable to attend will receive a printable version of the plaque by email. If any of the award recipients wish to have the original certificate plaque sent by post, the fee is €50. It is also possible to order additional copies of the award for team purposes.

Rules & Terms

Please only submit films related to the underwater world.

Every applicant can show one or more films.
The film length is not limited.
40% is minimum of underwater shots.
Competition admission is free.
We select underwater films from artists from all over the world.

1. The organizer and owner of the Pag International Underwater Film Festival (PIUFF) is E.R.I.K. Posidonia, Mažuranićev trg 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

2. The APPLICANT is the person or company submitting the film to PIUFF, representing the author and/or owner of the film, or is the author themselves.

3. The video must contain a minimum of 40% original underwater video material (sea, river, stream, lake, spring...), while the remaining part of the film can be shot above the surface.

4. Original underwater content must be shot in the wild – no aquariums or staged scenes may be used.

5. The video must not depict or imply any stressful or abusive actions towards marine life or the environment.

6. The films should be submitted in either 4k or HD format encoding in H.264 in .mov or .mp4 format.
Only films made in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 will be accepted for selection.

7. If the film has narration or subtitles in another language, a translation or subtitles in English are mandatory.

8. The APPLICANT guarantees that they are the owner or holder of the rights to the recorded materials or that all copyright has been regulated with the actual authors.

9. By submitting films to this event, the APPLICANT gives PIUFF permission to publicly screen the film or its parts without limitation as part of the festival, and in reports from the festival. Excerpts from submitted videos may also be used in trailers or promotions for the festival.

10. The APPLICANT is required to complete the official application form for PIUFF, which contains all relevant information about the film and contact details, and to submit it along with the film no later than March 15, 2026. After the selection jury makes its choice of films for the official part of the festival, PIUFF will notify the APPLICANTS of the selected films no later than April 15, 2026.

11. By submitting the aforementioned information along with your film to PIUFF - Pag International Underwater Film Festival, you declare that all included information is true to the best of your knowledge and that you have all legal rights, including legal rights to the music, to submit this film for public screening at PIUFF. Your submission of the film represents your affirmation of the truth of this declaration, in lieu of a signature.

12. Please provide relevant info, including the following:

1. The name of the film.
2. The name of the director, cameraman, editor, composer.
3. A brief introduction of the film (100 words or less).
4. Filming location
5. Duration
6. A brief introduction of the filmmaker(s) (100 words or less).
7. Photo of the filmmaker(s).
8. A Contact email for the filmmaker(s)