KOVA International Film Festival is a four-day international film event dedicated to celebrating films and editing as one of the most important creative elements of cinematic storytelling.

Held in the city of Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the festival brings together filmmakers, editors, students, and audiences through a diverse program of film screenings, professional activities, and cultural events.

The festival's competitive program features three categories:

• Short Fiction Film
• Short Documentary Film
• Student Film

In addition to the competition, KOVA presents a curated selection of feature films connected to the cinematic landscape of Republika Srpska and Southeast Europe, accompanied by discussions with filmmakers and festival guests.

Festival screenings take place primarily at unique open-air venues in Gradiška, transforming public spaces into temporary cinemas, while workshops and industry events are hosted in cultural and educational institutions in Gradiška and Banja Luka.

The competition programme is open exclusively to filmmakers from the Western Balkans region.

Awards & Prizes

The Festival presents awards in the following categories:

1. Category - Short Fiction Film
Awards
- Best Short Fiction Film
- Best Editing in a Short Fiction Film

2. Category - Short Documentary Film
Awards
- Best Short Documentary Film
- Best Editing in a Short Documentary Film

3. Student Film
Awards
- Best Student Film
- Best Editing in a Student Film

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms

1. Festival Overview
KOVA International Film Festival is a four-day gathering of filmmakers, students and film enthusiasts from the Western Balkans, offering a programme of screenings, masterclasses, discussions and open-air cinema experiences in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2. Eligible Categories
Films may be submitted in the following categories:

Short Fiction Film
Short Documentary Film
Student Film

3. Eligibility Requirements

- Eligible films must have been completed within two years prior to the festival edition for which they are submitted.
- Short Fiction and Short Documentary films must not exceed 30 minutes in length, including credits.
- Student films must have been produced within an accredited educational institution or by filmmakers enrolled in film-related studies at the time of production and must not exceed 30 minutes in length including credits.
- Films in languages other than Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian must include Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian subtitles.
- Multiple entries from the same filmmaker or production company are accepted.
- The competition programme is open exclusively to filmmakers from the Western Balkans region

4. Submission Process

- All submissions must be made through FilmFreeway.
- Submission fees, if applicable, are non-refundable.
- The submitter confirms that they hold all necessary rights for festival screening and promotion.

5. Selection Process

- All films are reviewed by the festival selection committee.
- Selected filmmakers will be notified via FilmFreeway and/or email.
- The Festival reserves the right to determine the final category placement of submitted films.

6. Screening Copies

- Selected films must provide a high-quality digital screening file in the format requested by the Festival.
- The Festival may use excerpts, stills, posters and trailers of selected films for promotional purposes.

7. Awards

Films are submitted in one of three competition categories (Short Fiction Film, Short Documentary Film and Student Film). Each category awards a prize for Best Film and a prize for Best Editing

Best Short Fiction Film
Best Editing in a Short Fiction Film
Best Short Documentary Film
Best Editing in a Short Documentary Film
Best Student Film
Best Editing in a Student Film

The Festival reserves the right to introduce additional awards or special mentions.

8. Rights and Permissions

By submitting a film, the applicant grants KOVA International Film Festival the non-exclusive right to screen the film during the Festival and to use promotional materials related to the film for Festival publicity.

9. Acceptance of Regulations

Submission to KOVA International Film Festival implies full acceptance of these Rules and Terms. The Festival Directorate reserves the right to resolve any matters not covered by these regulations.