Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (BIEFF) explores experimental cinema and the moving image through international short films, Romanian shorts, and first and second features. Founded in 2010 by Copel Moscu and Adina Pintilie, the festival presents thematic short-film programmes alongside filmmaker focuses, retrospectives and special screenings. Its national competition supports Romanian filmmakers working with avant-garde cinematic forms, while discussions, panels and masterclasses connect the screenings with wider questions of film practice.
The dates for the 16th edition are 23–30 September 2026 in Bucharest, Romania. Under the theme “Vanishing Futures”, the programme examines how ecological, political and technological crises affect the ways people imagine the future. Venues include Cinema Elvire Popesco, Apollo111 Cinema and Cinema Union.
Awards and prizes
The 2026 awards include the BIEFF Award for Best Feature Film (€2,000).
The International Short Film Competition presents the BIEFF Award for Best Short Film, the Award for Best Filmmaker and the Award for Best Visual Concept (€1,000 each), plus the Award for Best Sound Design (€5,000 in audio post-production services). The jury may also award a special mention.
The National Short Film Competition presents the Award for Best Romanian Film (€1,000) and an Award for Best Visual Concept offered to a Romanian film (€2,000 in post-production services).
Festival rules
For the 2026 call, films produced after January 2025 are eligible. The International Short Film Competition accepts films of up to 45 minutes. The festival favours innovative or experimental approaches, without restricting subjects or film forms. Preview copies with dialogue or commentary in languages other than English or Romanian require hardcoded English subtitles. Submissions are made through FilmFreeway, and national competition entries carry no entry fee. International competition fees vary by submission period.
Selected films require a ProRes or H.264 screening copy with the original aspect ratio and a stereo or 5.1 mix, together with an English dialogue list in SRT format. Screening copies preferably have no hardcoded subtitles. The festival may use promotional stills and excerpts up to 10% of a film’s running time, with a maximum of three minutes. Selected films cannot be withdrawn after acceptance of the official invitation and receipt of the required materials. Competitive screenings do not carry screening or rental fees.
