East&West. Classics and Avant Garde

The Golden Sarmatian Lion is the festival’s principal award. The international feature competition and the open Russian competition, Interwoven Parallels, each award Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. The Step short-film competition awards Best Film. Special distinctions include the Orenburg Governor’s Alexei Samoryadov Award for Best Screenplay, the Festival President’s Prize, the Audience Award, an award for contribution to cinema, and sponsor and partner prizes. The YAR sponsor’s Golden Chalice recognises humanism.

The international competition selects up to ten fiction features, with priority given to international co-productions. The open Russian competition, Interwoven Parallels, selects up to ten fiction features; films from CIS countries may also be included. The Step competition selects up to twenty fiction shorts of no more than 30 minutes. Shorts must not be in distribution or be freely available online. Competition screening copies must be in the original language with English subtitles and supplied as DCPs. Selection requires a viewing copy, a rights-holder-signed entry form, a synopsis, filmmaker information, stills, a poster and details of previous festival participation. Selected films must supply dialogue and subtitle materials and catalogue and publicity materials. Competition participation requires the attendance of film representatives. The directorate determines submission periods and may amend the regulations; consult the official regulations and application page for the applicable edition.