1. About
Sofia Pride Film Fest (SPFF) presents the finest selection of world LGBTIQ+ cinema. The 15th Sofia Pride Film Fest will be held from June 2nd to 12th 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Organiser of the festival is LGBTI organisation Deystvie.
2. Eligibility
- Documentary and fiction films are accepted
- Short films with runtime less than 25 minutes
- Feature films with runtime more than 60 minutes
- Films must be completed in 2024, 2025 or 2026
- The final screening file must be DCP, Apple ProRes, H264 or H265
- Only Bulgarian premieres are accepted
- All films must have English subtitles
3.Submissions
- The entry form along with the film screener should be submitted via FilmFreeWay.com
- The following materials are required on submission: original title, title in English, type of the film (fiction/documentary), runtime, country of origin, synopsis, subtitles in English
4. Deadlines
- Early bird deadline: March 31st 2026
- Regular deadline: April 20st 2026
5. Fees
The festival charges the following entry fees:
- Early bird fee for short films: €10
- Early bird fee for feature films: €30
- Regular fee for short films: €15
- Regular fee for feature films: €45
There are no entry fees for films from specific countries. If your film is produced in any of the following countries, please email us prior to submitting to get a waiver code:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
6. Selection
- The pre-selection of the films will be made by at least two festival programmers, appointed by the organiser of the festival
- The following additional materials may be requested via digital delivery upon selection: screening file, biography & filmography of the director, trailer, poster, stills from the film, BTS photos, photo of the director, press information, social media links, list of screenings & awards, film critics reviews
- The official selection will be announced on May 8th 2026
- All submitters will be notified by FilmFreeWay.com
- The deadline for the digital delivery of the selected screening copies is May 12th 2026
7. Awards
- Every viewer can vote for their favourite film during the festival
- After all valid votes are counted the highest rated feature film will receive the Audience Award for Best Feature Film of the festival
- After all valid votes are counted the highest rated short film will receive the Audience Award for Best Short Film of the festival
8. Terms
- The submitter is responsible for clearing all rights and permissions concerning each submission. The festival holds no liability
- Film excerpts that might be broadcast on television or the internet should not exceed the duration of 3 minutes or 10% of the total running time of the film
- The festival reserves the right to publish film information, including the contact info of the director and the producer
- The festival will not pay screening fees for the films submitted via FilmFreeWay.com
- The decision of the Festival Programmers is final
- The festival is not able to give feedback to any of the submitters
- The festival can organise up to two screenings per film
- The films could be screened within the noncommercial presentational programs after the festival upon agreement with the rightsholders of the films
- The festival reserves the right to invite films out of the above procedure
- The film screener that will be submitted to the festival along with the entry form will remain with the archives of the festival
- Film screenings may be held both in cinemas and online. Online screenings will be scheduled on top of theatrical screenings and may be proposed to rightsholders after the film selection by the festival. The details of online screenings will be determined individually with rightsholders
- The films chosen for the online programme are available within the territory of Bulgaria only for no more than one month
- Bulgarian premiere means that the film cannot be presented at any film festival, theatrically released, broadcasted on TV, streamed on VOD platforms or any other online media in Bulgaria prior to the festival dates
9. Attending
- The festival invites all directors of selected films to attend the Sofia Pride Film Fest and represent their film in Q&A’s. Alternatively the directors may be asked to send a video message to the audience of the festival if are unable to attend in person
- Directors will receive free festival accreditation
- Travel expenses, hotel accommodation and daily meals are not provided. On special occasions and upon availability the festival may support directors to attend the festival
10. Contacts
Sofia Pride Film Fest (SPFF) was established in 2010 in Sofia, Bulgaria and organised by LGBTI organisation Deystvie, UIC #176377812.
+359884851222 Denitsa Lyubenova, chairperson
www.deystvie.org
By submitting your film to SPFF, you are accepting these Entry Regulations.
