South East European Film Festival Los Angeles (SEEfest) is a competition festival presenting to American audiences cinematic and cultural diversity of 20 countries of Eastern/Central Europe, the Balkans and Caucasus. It provides a platform in the U.S. for the discovery of new talent from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, with a wide selection of films, art and literary talks, workshops and panels.

The festival serves as the cultural hub and resource for scholars and filmmakers, and creates opportunities for cultural exchange between Hollywood industry professionals and filmmakers from South East Europe. It is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, public benefit corporation.

Awards & Prizes

SEEFest is a competition festival. Unless otherwise stated all films are eligible for one of the following Awards, in-kind or subject to underwriters:

Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Animated Short
Best Cinematography
Audience Award

ACCELERATOR: Impact Award, for Best Project (Valuable Post-Production Packages)

The juries are comprised of Hollywood film industry professionals and award-winning filmmakers. Audience Award is given to the highest-scoring film based on the audience ballots.

Rules & Terms

The festival accepts narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short, documentary short and animated short films from, and about Eastern/Central and South East Europe. Expatriate filmmakers and filmmakers who are not from the region are eligible if the theme of the film is tied to the region and its people.

Please note: the festival does NOT cover all of Eastern Europe. It promotes the cinema and cultures of East/Central/Southeastern Europe at the cultural crossroads between Europe and Asia, from Austria in the north-west and Ukraine in the north-east to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south-east.

Only films made in the last 18 months prior to the Festival qualify.

Submissions are open September - January. In each category selection committee will review all submitted films and suggest the final line up.

Students submitting short films (fiction, documentary or animation) can get a fee waiver. Please contact the festival to obtain the waiver at: info(at)seefilmla.org.

SEEfest on YouTube: Short YouTube video is FREE to enter.

59 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Bianca & Dilara Foscht

    SEE FEST has been such a source of empowerment and inspiration for us as actors and international filmmakers.

    We got a chance to connect with some fantastic people through the film fest that we are still tightly connected with.

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • George Nicholas

    SEEFest is an amazing festival with the most caring and dedicated team. This was my second time and the experience was just as great. The films are thoughtfully curated and the venues are exceptional--especially the WGA theater where the opening and closing ceremonies are held. Receiving an award on that stage is a highlight of my career. If you are lucky enough to be selected, this festival is absolutely worth the trip to LA.

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • Stefan Malešević

    We had a great experience with SEEFest LA. Unfortunately we couldn't be there physically, but communicating with the team and sending of the materials all went perfectly smooth. They are active and quick to respond, friendly and kind, and have a great streamlined process for uploading DCPs.

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • lea vidakovic

    I am so honored to have my film screened at SEE Fest, and winning the best stop motion animation award, thank you so so much! <3

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • Marian Fărcuț

    I had a truly inspiring experience at SEEfest 2025.
    My short film "Networking" was screened at the UCLA Bridges Theater, followed by a Q&A session with a warm and inquisitive audience. The feedback and questions from viewers showed a genuine interest in the film's themes, which made the moment feel special and rewarding.

    The festival was extremely well organized, with several networking events that encouraged meaningful conversations among filmmakers, producers, and festivalgoers. One of the highlights was the co-production panel that brought together voices from the U.S. and Eastern Europe — an insightful exchange of ideas that sparked future collaboration opportunities.

    SEEfest offered not only visibility for emerging voices, but also a sense of community.
    I'm truly grateful for the opportunity and already looking forward to attending again in the coming years!

    May 2025
    Helpful