The Fifteenth Edition of WatchOut! Film Festival: Eyes Wild Shut

WatchOut! is an International open-air Film Festival organized by Center for Balkan Cooperation LOJA in the city of Tetovo, North Macedonia.

The fifteenth edition of the WatchOut! Film Festival will take place from June 9–11, 2026.

In a world where the frame is a battlefield and every image strives to present itself as "another truth," we seek a cinema that is raw and untamed. Where the image is at stake, WOFF aims to strip away the filters and reveal the primal, the untouched.

This year, we invite filmmakers and film lovers to move beyond the visible. Let us confront the mechanisms that construct the image, dig into the raw truth of what remains hidden, and reclaim the screen as a space for confrontation.

Join us at WatchOut! Film Festival 2026. At the moment when art ceases to be a mere image and becomes a presence, where this enchanting trap becomes the home of change.

Awards & Prizes

There are three competing categories:

1. Documentary Film Category
2. Short Feature Film Category
3. Experimental & Animation Film Category

A professional jury will award one film as a Festival Winner in each category.
Winners in the three competing categories will be invited to Tetovo during the Festival to receive the awards.

Rules & Terms

The Festival is open to any form, budget or technique. The selection of the films is done according to three main categories:
Short Feature Film, Documentary Film, Experimental and Animated Film.
One author can apply with more films in the same category or different ones. The submitted films should have been produced in the last 3 years, and if the film/s contains spoken language, it must have English subtitles. Films submitted to the previous editions of the WatchOut! Film Festival will not be taken into consideration for selection.
If your film contains spoken language, it must have English subtitles. The deadline is 15.04.2026. We don't have any restrictions on the length, genre, or subject of the film. It is your responsibility to secure clearance from the copyright holders of any copyrighted materials included within the submitted film. The festival organizers will not be held responsible for the unauthorized inclusion of any copyrighted materials within or relating to the submitted film. By submitting your film you accept the rules and requirements.
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  • Kartik Mahajan

    After few visits in Russia and USA our 2D animated short film from India titled "Phool Dei" have reached Europe for the WATCHOUT! Tetovo Film Festival 2024 in North Macedonia!🇲🇰🥳🎞️

    We would like to thank the entire team of Watchout Film Festival for giving the opportunity to present our film in their prestigious festival!

    July 2024
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  • Arisson Tavares

    I sincerely thank you for the opportunity. I was very happy to participate.

    June 2024
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  • Jaehyeon Kim

    It was awesome experience! Great Festival!

    October 2023
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  • B. Suresh Kumar

    As the name itself says, we have to WatchOut to be a part in this film festival. A very good platform to showcase our films. I am happy that my short film "ARITHAARAM " (Facial Makeover) is an Official Selection in this Festival.

    July 2023
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