The Pápa International Film Festival welcomes you! If you are a returning guest, you may know that in previous years we organized the event as a "historical film festival," but starting in 2026, we have expanded the range of films. We will continue to pay special attention to historical films, evaluating them in a separate category and awarding them separate prizes. Those who have been our guests before know that we invite the award-winning filmmakers to a grand gala evening and award ceremony. We cover travel expenses, accommodation, and all meals. This is something that no other European festival offers. With us, you are our guest. You can get a feel for the atmosphere of previous years' festivals by watching the videos from previous years on our website - www.pihff.com. A fantastic atmosphere, productive professional gatherings, and great films! We look forward to seeing you in person in 2026. Be our guest at the Pápa International Film Festival in the city of Pápa, a wonderful Baroque Hungarian city!
Note: When it comes to historical films, we are still not primarily looking for costume dramas; any topic from prehistoric times to the recent past is acceptable, as long as it has a message for today's audience.

Best Feature film
Best Historical Feature film
Best Short Feature film
Best Short Historical Feature film
Best Documentary film
Best Historival Documentary film
Best Experimental film
Best Short Documentary
Best Historical Short Documentary film
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematographer
Best Editor
Best Music
"Andrew Laszlo" Special Award
Jury Special Award

Terms & Conditions

All submissions:
PIHFF accepts international and Hungarian films, whether they are fiction films,
documentaries or animations, regardless of length, genre, or subject matter.
Within this category, we will award a special prize for films with historical themes.

The submitted films had to be completed after January 1st, 2020.
The films must have at least their Hungarian premiers at the festival (i.e. it is a
prerequisite that they have not have been screened publicly in Hungary prior to the
2020 festival, including a broadcast version of any length).

The films must be in English, subtitled in English or English versioned.

Submission Fee and deadlines
The price of submission is available at the exclusive partner of the festival, the
FilmFreeway. Submission is also only possible via FilmFreeway. Please note that
submission fees contribute to the administrative duties carried out by our festival
team and previewing panel. These fees are essential to the sustainability of our
festival and therefore we are unable to offer waivers.

Programming Consideration
PIHFF will consider both international and Hungarian films, whether they are fiction
films or documentaries, regardless of length or subject matter.

All submissions will be given full consideration by our programming team.

Programming Decisions
The final decision on programming, categorization, and scheduling of films will be
determined by the Festival programming team. Their decision is final (and not open
to negotiation). Successful applicants will receive this information in their official
invitation.
No screeners or application materials will be returned. Do not send film prints, master
tapes or other originals.
If your film is selected, you will receive a more detailed form asking for promotional
materials needed for our catalogue and website (delivering these on time and in the
right format is 100% your responsibility). We expect all submitted films to be free of
screening fees.
You can expect your film to be screened 1-2 times during the festival. The project aims to reach audiences that would otherwise not have a chance to see our program.

Selected Films
PIHFF features three juried competition programs: the fiction films /Best Feature film,
Best Drama Film, Best Director, Best Script, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor, Best
Actors/ and the same type of awards will be distributed in the categories of the
documentaries and the short films. There will be several other programs that are non-
competitive.
There is an opportunity to meet Hungarian film distributors at the festival. We also
help in negotiations concerning the distributions of films in Hungary, in the network of
cinemas as well as on television.

Travel & Accommodation
For officially selected films, PIHFF wants to provide as much support as possible to
filmmakers attending the Festival. We hope that we will have the opportunity to
provide first class accommodation and full board for two people from all selected
productions free of charge. As long as the budget of the film festival permits it, we will
make an effort to cover the airplane travel too. The transfer from Budapest to Pápa
will be provided by the festival by specific vehicles.
For feature-length films, PIHFF will do its best to bring a representative to Pápa
(Hungary) for each invited film.

For all selected films, PIHFF will provide Festival accreditation for every credited
director.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Michael Angelo Pogoy

    Not really sure if this really happened.

    May 2026
  • Thanks to the Pápa International Film Festival for selecting my feature film, IN THE PINES, as an official selection for the festival. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend in person, but from what I can tell from the USA, it's an amazing festival with great people behind it.

    April 2026
  • I had the opportunity to participate in the Pápa International Film Festival with my documentary Tra la Terra ed il Mare, which was selected for the official program.

    The festival has recently expanded its scope beyond its original focus on historical films, while still maintaining a dedicated section for this category. This allows for a diverse selection of works and a broader range of storytelling approaches.

    The overall atmosphere is friendly and well-organized, with a clear intention to bring together filmmakers and audiences in a culturally rich setting like the city of Pápa.

    Overall, the Pápa International Film Festival represents a positive experience, especially for independent filmmakers looking to share their work and connect with an international community.

    April 2026
  • Short Film

    One day I recieved a film freeway notification as selected but that doesn't mean it will be screened. No email communications. No clarity. They don't reply to the email shared on filmfreeway. It's about the world premiere status of my film. How come festival is so casual about this?

    April 2026
  • Guido Galante

    An excellent film festival showcasing important and independent themes. The organization was impeccable, attentive to every detail. Congratulations, and... full steam ahead!

    April 2026