Open Russian Festival of Animated Films in Suzdal (Suzdalfest)

Under the published 2026 regulations, the auteur-animation jury awards two Special Prizes and prizes for Best Professional Short Film, Best Diploma Film, Best Debut Film and Best Film for Children. Debut films are first professional works made after film school or independently outside education; if there are few entries, they join the professional-short category with a first-film designation while retaining a debut award. The commercial-animation jury awards Best Series, Best Feature Film and Best Applied Animation. Features run over 50 minutes. Series entries are from new series or series included in no more than one previous festival. Applied animation includes music videos, advertising, social messages, television or festival idents and educational audiovisual work. Both juries jointly award the Grand Prix. The separate Fortuna prize uses random selection. A professional ballot covers competition and non-competition films: voters rank five films for five to one points; the top twenty are announced, and the first three receive signed award plaques. Open Premiere screenings also determine an audience award.

2026 regulations — XXXI edition, 18–23 March 2026. The official regulations currently published by the festival cover this edition. Selection accepts completed animation produced by studios, associations, individual filmmakers and educational institutions in Russia and Belarus, and films made by citizens of these countries abroad. The organizers may also invite films from other countries. Films must be in Russian or have Russian subtitles. The 2026 selection covers work completed in 2025 and films from 2024 that were absent from the previous festival. Applications and required materials are submitted through Suzdalfest.Online by 17 December 2025; receipt is confirmed by the directorate. Selection begins on 20 December 2025. Diploma films are eligible for competition, non-competition screenings and the online media library. Other student and coursework films are considered separately for the M.A.R.T. animation-school showcase, with cinema and online sections selected by an expert council. Exercises made while learning basic animation skills are not accepted. The selection commission assigns competition categories. Submitted files must satisfy the technical requirements attached to the application form. Selection bodies may decline a film without explaining their decision. The directorate may reject work that conflicts with the regulations, including unjustified depictions of smoking; promotion of drugs, hatred or extremism; profanity; violence and cruelty; and materials prohibited under the regulations’ provisions on sexual content, gender change and destructive ideology. Applicants guarantee all necessary copyright, related rights, permissions and other legal documentation. Attendance terms are set in individual invitations. One director or crew representative per competition film is included among festival participants; commissioned-animation competitors, non-competition filmmakers and other guests normally attend at their own expense unless invited on separate terms. Registered online viewers can watch festival programmes; accredited online professionals can also vote in the professional ballot. Access is protected against unauthorized downloading. The directorate can move the festival online if restrictions prevent the in-person event. Submitting a completed, signed application grants a non-exclusive licence for non-commercial screenings in festival programmes and the media library, at festival venues, Open Premiere and Echo Suzdalfest events, and special programmes at other festivals. It also covers online festival screenings for the festival’s duration and promotional excerpts on television and online. The stated territory is the former USSR. Participation constitutes acceptance of the regulations.