1 – Introduction
“Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival” is an international film festival with nine editions behind it.
The tenth edition of the festival will take place from December 9 to 12, 2026, in Prilep, North Macedonia.
“Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival” is dedicated to promoting short films of any genre and fostering connections between audiences, emerging filmmakers, and professionals.
2 – Festival Sections and Awards
International Short Film Competition:
Best Film: €300
Best Concept: €100
Best Cinematography: €100
Best Sound: €100
Balkan Short Film Competition:
Best Balkan Film: €100
National Short Film Competition:
Audience award for Best Macedonian Short Film
3 – Submission Rules
Eligible films must have a maximum duration of 30 minutes and must have been produced after January 1, 2024.
Each artist (individual or collective) may submit up to three works, but only one may be selected for the final program.
4 – Submissions and Deadlines
The submission fee is symbolic and represents an essential tool for us; however, Winter Apricots will provide free submission codes to all artists who are unable to cover the costs.
Submissions open: April 20, 2026
Early Deadline: August 2026 – €5.00
Late Deadline: October 2026 – €6.00
Notification date: November 2026
The submission form must be completed via the FilmFreeway platform. Submissions will be considered incomplete if the form is not fully filled out.
A submission is considered complete only when the following three steps are fulfilled:
• all required information has been provided;
• the submission fee has been paid;
• a screener copy of the film has been submitted.
Authors of selected films will be notified by email in November 2026. Selected authors must send a screening copy of the film along with a list of English dialogues with timecode (.ass, .srt).
Failure to provide this material may result in the film being removed from the selection at the sole discretion of the festival organizers, even after the official selection has been published on the website.
Film materials and data will be included in the festival catalogue, website, and social media for promotional purposes.
Selected films will become part of the Winter Apricots archive and may be used for non-profit screenings supporting the festival. Extracts (max. 30 seconds) may also be used for promotional purposes. The organizers will inform authors of any further non-profit screenings of this kind.
Participation in the festival implies acceptance of all the above terms and confirms that the film does not include unauthorized audio/video material from other authors.
5 – Organization
If the festival is held as a live public event, selected artists are invited to attend “Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival.”
The festival will provide accommodation (for 1 or 2 crew members) and, depending on costs and demand, may contribute to travel expenses.
“Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival” reserves the right to modify, redefine, interrupt, postpone, or cancel the event due to circumstances beyond its control and cannot be held liable in any way.
6 – Final Details and Contact
For any matters not specified above, “Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival” reserves the right to make the final decision.
For further information, please contact:
winterapricots@yahoo.com
