AURA Film Festival (4)

Festival start: 11 May 2025      Festival end: 19 May 2025

The word AURA has two meanings: it’s the atmosphere and the wind blowing. The name of the film festival was inspired by both of these definitions. Our film festival is an atmosphere of creativity, celebration and art. A whiff of wind is the wind of change and the point of films, as well as the wind from the seas, near which the cities of film screenings are located (the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Sea of Azov).

The screening sessions of the films of the film festival are held in three cities at once. In the south it is Sochi and Rostov-on-Don, and in the Northwest it is the cultural city of St. Petersburg. Film screenings take place in cultural and youth centers, both indoors and outdoors.

We screen both fiction films, documentaries and animated films, as well as social videos from around the world. In addition, there is a competition of posters and photo projects.

Viewers of different ages attend our film festival. After the screenings, there is a discussion with the creators and organizers of the festival.

On the last day of the film festival, an award ceremony will be held, where statuettes, diplomas and gifts from partners will be presented to the winners of the film festival.

AURA Film Festival is a review competition of films received evaluation by the Selection Committee.

The Festival’s aim is to support cinematographers and to contribute to the development and promotion of film industries.

The film festival focuses on a variety of themes and genres.

It is a strong advocate for social change, and encourages cultural diversity and understanding between nations.

We are also including and actively supporting not only the finest examples of classic moviemaking, but works that are experimental, breaking ground in new non-narrative forms and crossing over into the video arts. All films will be reviewed as they are submitted, and the best in each category will be chosen to screen at the festival. Semi-finalist films will not be screened but will receive our festival laurels.

The final decision on the inclusion of the film in the Festival competition program is made by the Selection Committee which reserves the right not to explain the reason for the refusal and not to give any comment.

The winners are chosen by the organizing committee of the film festival.

The winners receive valuable prizes from sponsors and partners, laurels and diplomas.

You can only send an application for entry through the platform festhome.com The final decision on the inclusion of the film in the Festival competition program is made by the Selection Committee which reserves the right not to explain the reason for the refusal and not to give any comment.

The winners are chosen by the organizing committee of the film festival.

The winners receive valuable trophies, laurels and diplomas.

Best Film
Best Animation Film
Best Documentary
Best Socially Significant Film
Best Poster/Photo

All participants will receive laurels and electronic diplomas.

Article 1.

International Film Festival AURA (henceforth “The Festival”) is a review competition of films received evaluation by the Selection Committee.

Article 2.

The Festival’s aim is to support cinematographers and to contribute to the development and promotion of film industries and audience involvement in film evaluation.

Article 3.

The Festival is organized by Catharsis Film Company and takes place in cultural centers and cinema clubs in Sochi, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk, Anapa, Krasnodar. The Festival is held annually, starting in 2022.

Article 4.

The program of the Festival and the screening schedule is determined by the Director of the Festival Programs.

Article 5.

The winners receive valuable prizes from sponsors and partners, laurels and diplomas.

Article 6.

The Festival accepts full-length films (any genres and themes) and short-length films (any genres and themes). A film can be of any year of production, a premiere is not required. The Festival includes films produced in any country. English subtitles are not necessary for Russian films.

We also accept films which have already been released on the Internet. We understand that cinematographers should advance their work.

A request for participation may be sent via the platform festhome.com after paying a fee indicated on the website. The fee depends on the category and the deadline. The fee does not guarantee a work to be included in the official selection and cannot be refunded.

All rights (including music and literature base) must be cleared. The filmmakers are fully responsible for the observance of rights.

Article 7.

The final decision on the inclusion of the film in the Festival competition program is made by the Selection Committee which reserves the right not to explain the reason for the refusal and not to give any comment.

Article 8.

The authors of selected films must send the following information to the e-mail address of the Festival not later than 5 days before the Festival begins:

Link for film downloading 2 GB max. (mp4)
Name of the film
Director’s name
Synopsis
Poster or film frame
Article 9.

Films of the competition or any other program may be shown within the Festival no more than 3 (three) times without the written permission of the film owner or his authorized representative.

Article 10.

Films of the competition program are evaluated by the audience came to the film screening. The winners are determined by the method of calculation the votes in each category.

Article 11.

The Festival does not accept films containing information which distribution is prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation, or containing obscene language. Films that have previously been refused a distribution certificate are also not accepted.

Article 12.

Participation in the Festival implies agreement with the Rules and Regulations set out herein.