V.i.Z. Film Fest is an annual independent film festival from Odesa, Ukraine, entering its sixth edition. Unlike most online-first festivals, ours doesn't end on a website. Each cycle culminates in a live, in-person screening for a real audience in Odesa, held every fall - including throughout the ongoing war.

We exist for the filmmakers most festivals overlook: emerging directors, students, first-time screenwriters, animators making their debut shorts, musicians shooting their first videos. Whether your work has already toured the circuit or you've never submitted anywhere before, we look at it on its own terms.

We accept submissions across seven categories: Best Short Film, Best Feature Film, Best Animation, Best Music Video, Best Student Film, Best Screenplay, and Ukrainian Voices (free for filmmakers from Ukraine).

How selection works:
After the final deadline, our pre-selection team reviews every submission. The strongest works are named Official Selection and receive the festival laurel. From those, 3–5 Finalists per category are publicly announced ahead of the live event. Finalists are judged by our jury - a director, an actor, a screenwriter, and a film critic - who choose one Winner per category. At the live screening in Odesa, the audience also votes for an Audience Award.

Winners receive: Winner laurel, certificate, a feature on our Instagram, and a screening of their film for the Odesa audience.

Across our first five editions, we have programmed films from filmmakers in 25 countries. We don't care where you're from or what your budget was. We care that the work is yours, that you cared about making it, and that it has something to say.

We hope V.i.Z. becomes a meaningful first laurel for filmmakers just starting out and a reminder that cinema continues to bring people together, even in the hardest of times.

Awards & Prizes

1. Short Film (between 0:01 and 40:59 min in length with credits)
2. Feature Film (between 41:00 and 180 min in length with credits)
3. Short Animation (between 0:01 and 40:59 min in length with credits)
4. Feature Animation (between 41:00 and 180 min in length with credits)
3. OTHERS:
- Best TV & Web Series Pilots
- Best Student Film
- Best Short Script
- Best Feature Script
- Best Music Video
- Best Trailer

After the final deadline, all films submitted in the Short Film and Feature Film categories will receive a notification letting them know whether they’ve been selected or not for the final competition. The number of selected films is determined by the festival jury. We plan to choose 8 films per category, but we reserve the right to select more or fewer, depending on the jury’s decision.

Projects submitted in the Other Categories will receive their final jury decision on the day the results are announced.

Everyone who is selected to participate in the festival or wins an award will receive an official certificate from our festival.

We wish you the best of luck and can’t wait to see your work!

Rules & Terms

1. All short films should have a maximum length of 40:59 minutes with credits
2. All feature films should have a maximum length of 180 minutes with credits.
3. We accept films of any and all genres.
4. The films must include English subtitles (unless the spoken language is English).
6. All short scripts should have a maximum length 42 pages.
7. All feature scripts should have a maximum length 180 pages.
8. Films have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions that impact Festival eligibility and may have been screened at any number of festivals or other public theatrical exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released via any home video or other public distribution platform anywhere in the world;

By submitting the film, the submitter agrees that:
1. "V.i.Z. Film Fest" can use trailer/teaser/film poster/stills excerpt for promotional purpose (but do not release, under any form or circumstances, the full film).
2. Films will not be shown online.
3. Entry fees are non-refundable unless they are covered by the submission protection option, according to the FilmFreeway terms.
4. The submitter owns all the rights to the film.

"V.i.Z. Film Fest" does not accept the following:
1. Extremist or propaganda content from religious or political organizations, racism, violation of human rights, discrimination of any kind
2. Films which are made before 2010.
3. Films with a poor production standard (bad sound, lack of subtitles/captions for non-English films, or video resolution less than 720p HD).
4. For student fee, it is mandatory the student status evidence (e.g. copy of student card included in the project).
5. The projects that do not follow the rules & terms above can be automatically disqualified at the sole discretion of " V.i.Z. Film Fest ".

If you have any questions, please contact us in our Instagram or email. We will be happy to answer.
137 Reviews
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  • Jane L. Fitzpatrick

    I entered Sacajawea, The Windcatcher into the V.i.Z. Film Festival as part of our effort to bring this Native American woman's story to the entire world. I was humbled and grateful that Sacajawea, The Windcatcher was a WINNER for Best Feature Script. And though it took a long time for you to finally have your festival, understandably, your determination and commitment were admirable. I am so grateful you "saw" this woman of US history, as she lived and loved and endured the same oppression and heartache during her precious life as beautiful Odesa and all of Ukraine. This award focuses a light on Sacajawea, as I have always believed her story will be a spearhead that ignites love and peace around the globe. Thank you.

    February 2026
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  • NAOKI FUJIMOTO

    My film “Diana from Hong Kong,” which I produced and directed, has won an award at this film festival!

    I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone involved with the festival. From distant Japan, I sincerely wish for peace to be realized in Ukraine!

    February 2026
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  • Jamie Langlands

    Potential scam festival as failing to see any screening information

    June 2025
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  • John Martinez

    I love everything the V.i.Z. Film Fest is about and how they aim to support creative filmmakers. I submitted my short film for consideration and was excited to receive an "official selection".

    I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this great festival.

    Thank you again to the amazing team and judges at V.i.Z. Film Fest. I’ll see you all again soon!

    June 2025
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  • JAROSLAW GOGOLIN

    Wonderful experience! Great film festival! For sure I will come back with my future film projects. And thank you for awarding my film "Lost dolls" with the best feature animation award

    June 2024
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