Арктический международный кинофестиваль ’Золотой ворон’ - Arctic International Film Festival ’Golden Raven’ (11)

Festival start: 29 March 2027      Festival end: 11 April 2027

THE XI ARCTIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL "GOLDEN RAVEN"
March 29 – April 11, 2027 • Anadyr, Chukotka, Russia
Free submission • Deadline: November 30, 2026

Golden Raven is the easternmost international film festival in Russia. It takes place in Anadyr, the capital of Chukotka, on the shores of the Bering Sea, where Russia's new day begins. For two weeks every spring the Arctic town becomes a meeting point for filmmakers from all over the world, and your film meets an audience unlike any other.

A festival that keeps growing
The jubilee X edition received 3,394 submissions from more than 100 countries. Festival films were screened in 67 regions of Russia and in six countries, from Minsk to Buenos Aires, reaching a combined audience of over 130,000 viewers. The Grand Prix went to a film from China, chosen not by a jury but by the audience in Anadyr.

What we are looking for
Full-length films: stories of the Arctic and the North, of indigenous peoples around the world, of nature and the relationship between people and their environment. We look for films where the North is not an exotic backdrop but a living world of people, characters and destinies.
Short films: Arctic and northern themes are our priority, but films of other themes are welcome too.
All films must be completed on or after January 1, 2025.

Competition sections
— International competition of full-length feature and documentary films
— International competition of full-length animated films
— International competitions of short feature, documentary and animated films
— FilmRising! — interregional competition for filmmakers from Russia's North, Siberia and Far East
— NEW: AI Film Competition

NEW in 2027: AI Film Competition
For the first time, Golden Raven opens a competition for films created with generative artificial intelligence. It is open to features, shorts, animation, experimental and hybrid works from 1 minute long, where more than 50% of the main visual sequence is created with generative AI. There are no thematic restrictions. Applicants disclose the AI tools used and the creative contribution of the team. The winner is chosen by audience vote.

Awards
The Grand Prix, the Big Golden Raven statuette, is awarded by audience vote. An international jury awards Golden Raven statuettes for best film, directing, screenplay and cinematography in the full-length competition, and Golden Raven medallions in the short film, animation and FilmRising! competitions. The festival also presents a Press Award and a children's audience award for the best animated short.

Hospitality
For each film selected for the full-length competitions, the festival covers economy flights within Russia to Anadyr and back, hotel accommodation and meals for one representative. Official invitations for visas are provided to representatives of competition films.

More than screenings
— Full halls and Q&A sessions with filmmakers after the screenings
— An industry program: panels, round tables and master classes. Past speakers included filmmakers from Korea, China and Russia
— An animation lab run with the legendary Soyuzmultfilm studio
— Opening and closing ceremonies with concerts, theatre performances and creative meetings with actors and directors
— The "Golden Raven Camp": yarangas, traditional Chukchi food, games and crafts
— For guests: dog sled rides, trips into the tundra and tours of the Arctic's easternmost town

Submission
Submission is free. Working languages: Russian, English, Chinese. Selected films provide an English or Russian subtitle file and a DCP by February 1, 2027. The official selection will be announced by March 25, 2027.

Come to the edge of the world and bring your film to the Golden Raven.

AWARDS

The following prizes are awarded following the results of the Festival:

Statuette "BIG GOLDEN RAVEN" — Grand Prix of the Festival for the best film of the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, according to the results of the audience rating vote;

Statuette "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, by decision of the expert jury;

Statuette "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best directing in the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, by decision of the expert jury;

Statuette "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best screenplay in the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, by decision of the expert jury;

Statuette "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best cinematography in the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, by decision of the expert jury;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the competition of full-length animated films, according to the results of the audience rating vote;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the short film competitions, according to the results of the audience rating vote;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the competition of short feature films, by decision of the expert jury;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the competition of short documentary films, by decision of the expert jury;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the competition of short animated films, according to the results of the children's audience rating vote;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Special Jury Prize of the Festival in the competition of full-length feature and documentary films, by decision of the expert jury (the nomination and the recipient of the prize are determined by the jury of the Festival);

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Special Jury Prize of the Festival in the short film competitions, by decision of the expert jury (the nomination and the recipient of the prize are determined by the jury of the Festival);

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film of the short film competition "FilmRising!", by decision of the expert jury;

Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Special Prize of the Organizing Committee of the Festival (awarded by decision of the Organizing Committee of the Festival);

NEW! Medallion "GOLDEN RAVEN" — Prize of the Festival for the best film created using generative artificial intelligence, according to the results of the audience rating vote in the AI Film Competition. The award is presented to the representative of the winning film designated by the Organizing Committee;

Prize of the Festival for the best film by decision of representatives of the media and the film critics' community (Press Award).

No prize may be shared between two or more participants of the competition programs.

In addition to the established prizes, the expert jury has the right to award no more than three participating films of the competition programs of full-length feature and documentary films with a diploma or a special mention of the jury, as well as no more than three participating films in each of the competition programs of short feature and documentary films, animated films and the "FilmRising!" program with a diploma or a special mention of the jury (these awards include a diploma; no statuette or medallion is provided for these categories of awards).

The Organizing Committee of the Festival, as well as the Partners of the Festival, have the right to establish special prizes and diplomas, subject to approval.

The Jury of the Festival and the Organizing Committee of the Festival have the right not to award any of the above-mentioned prizes based on the results of the work and the events of the Festival.

BENEFITS FOR SELECTED FILMS

Screenings in Anadyr in front of the warmest audience in the Arctic, with Q&A sessions after the screenings

For each film selected for the full-length competitions: economy flights within Russia to Anadyr and back, hotel accommodation and meals for one representative

Official invitation letters for visas for representatives of competition films

Presentation in the official festival catalogue and on the festival website
Participation in the industry program: panels, round tables and meetings with Russian and international filmmakers

COMPETITION PROGRAM

The Festival is composed of the following competition sections:

International competition of full-length feature and documentary films;
International competition of full-length animated films;
International competition of short feature films;
International competition of short documentary films;
International competition of short animated films;
International competition of films created using generative artificial intelligence (AI Film Competition);
Interregional competition "FilmRising!".

OUT-OF-COMPETITION PROGRAM

The out-of-competition program of the Festival includes:

full-length and short feature, documentary and animated films;
other media content at the discretion of the Organizing Committee of the Festival.

FILM REQUIREMENTS

An entry for the Festival may be submitted by the right holder of the film or by its authorized representative holding the rights and permissions necessary to submit the film and to use it within the scope of the terms of participation in the Festival.

The programs of the Festival include Russian and foreign films selected by the Selection Committee that reflect universal spiritual and moral values and cultural traditions and convey the ideas of peacemaking, religious tolerance and humanism, in accordance with the main nominations of the Festival.

The international competitions of full-length feature, documentary and animated films are open to:

films with a running time of 52 minutes or more;
films produced on or after January 1, 2025;
films dedicated to Arctic or northern topics and reflecting the life of the population of the northern regions of the world, as well as films about the life, way of life and culture of indigenous peoples in different parts of the world, environmental issues, and the interaction between humans and nature.

The international competitions of short feature, documentary and animated films are open to:

films with a running time of less than 52 minutes;
films produced on or after January 1, 2025;
films dedicated to Arctic or northern topics and reflecting the life of the population of the northern regions of the world, including indigenous peoples, nature and wildlife, as well as films of other themes.

The interregional competition "FilmRising!" is open to:

short feature and documentary films with a running time of less than 30 minutes;
films produced on or after January 1, 2025 by authors from the regions of the North, Siberia and the Far East residing in these territories: regions of the North, Siberia and the Far East that have not previously taken part in this program of the Festival;
films dedicated to Arctic or northern topics and reflecting the life of the population of the North, Siberia and the Far East, including indigenous peoples, nature and wildlife, as well as films of other themes;
debut and student works, as well as works created by non-professional filmmakers, are eligible for the competition.

The out-of-competition screenings of feature, documentary and animated films are open to works of various themes and production dates.

The use of obscene language in films is not allowed. The content of the films participating in the competition and out-of-competition programs of the Festival must not contradict the legislation of the Russian Federation.

AI FILM COMPETITION — SPECIAL RULES

For the purposes of the AI Film Competition, an AI film is defined as a work in which more than 50% of the duration of the main visual sequence consists of imagery created by means of generative artificial intelligence. Films meeting this criterion are considered exclusively in the AI Film Competition.

The AI Film Competition is open to Russian and foreign full-length and short feature, documentary, animated, experimental and hybrid films produced on or after January 1, 2025. There are no thematic restrictions; however, the films must comply with the general requirements of the Festival on values, language and content (clauses 7.2, 7.7 and 7.8 of the Regulations). Running time: from 1 minute.

The use of any generative AI tools is permitted, provided that their terms of use and the rights of third parties are observed. The applicant discloses the tools used, the ways in which they were used and the creative contribution of the members of the team.

By submitting an entry to the Festival, the applicant guarantees that they hold the necessary rights and permissions for the source materials, music, images, voices and other elements of the film, including the use of the recognizable likeness and voice of real persons in cases where such consent is required.

Compliance of a film with the requirements of the AI Film Competition is verified by the Selection Committee on the basis of the materials submitted. The Selection Committee may request additional evidence of the production process and of the calculation of the share of generative imagery. Inaccurate information, or failure to provide the requested evidence within the period specified in the Selection Committee's request, constitutes grounds for refusal of participation or exclusion of the film from the competition.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Entries for participation in the Festival are accepted from August 20, 2026 to November 30, 2026 (inclusive).

Russian applicants must fill in the online form on the official website of the Festival www.goldenravenfilmfest.ru and send links to all required materials in the section https://goldenravenfilmfest.ru/zayavka.

Foreign applicants must submit their entries to the Selection Committee via the online platform Festhome.

Submission to all competition sections is free of charge:

early deadline — September 30, 2026;
regular deadline — October 31, 2026;
late deadline — November 30, 2026.

The final decision on the participation of films in the programs of the Festival is made by the Selection Committee, which reserves the right not to provide comments and not to explain the reasons for negative decisions when reviewing the submitted works.

The Selection Committee and the Organizing Committee of the Festival reserve the right to refuse participation in the Festival to a previously confirmed participant in the following circumstances:

failure of the participant to provide, within the specified period, the information required for the catalog and the media coverage of the Festival;
prolonged absence of feedback from the participant on current organizational matters in the course of the preparation of the Festival without valid reasons;
identification by the Organizing Committee of the Festival of the fact that the participant has provided false information on matters related to the screening of the film within the Festival.

The list of participants of the competition and out-of-competition programs is formed by the Selection Committee of the Festival and published on the official website of the Festival www.goldenravenfilmfest.ru no later than March 25, 2027.

ENTRY CONDITIONS

For each selected film, no later than February 1, 2027, the following materials must be provided to the Festival:

dialogue lists with exact timecode, an srt file in English (for films in a foreign language) or in Russian;
a digital copy of the film for subtitling (Full HD, mp4 or ProRes with maximum bitrate);
a synopsis in English and/or Russian;
a biography in English and/or Russian and a photograph of the director;
the festival history of the film in English and/or Russian;
stills from the film (resolution of at least 300 dpi);
a poster of the film in *psd and *jpeg formats, with parameters sufficient for high-quality printing of an A1-format poster;
a trailer or a teaser of the film;
a copy of the film's distribution certificate (if available, for Russian participants);
a copy of the national film certificate (if available, for Russian participants);
the consent of the right holder to the screening of the film within the Festival;
other press, advertising and promotional materials, if available.

To participate in the Festival, the right holders of a participating film must provide the Festival with the film in DCP format in the original language, with Russian or English subtitles if the original language is neither Russian nor English.

Participation of a film in the competition of the Festival implies the possible presence of the director or the actor playing the leading role. If the director and/or the leading actor cannot come to the Festival, the Organizing Committee of the Festival reserves the right to keep the film in the competition provided that the film is presented by a member of the film crew of a leading creative profession.

The Festival has the right to use all visual materials of the participating films, as well as excerpts from the films (no more than 3 minutes), for the purposes of informing the audience and promoting the Festival and its events.

HOSPITALITY TERMS AND TRANSPORTATION OF SCREENING COPIES

The Festival provides the representatives of the competition films with an official invitation for obtaining a Russian visa and/or arranging a business trip.

The Festival covers the cost of economy-class air tickets for flights within the territory of the Russian Federation to the city of Anadyr and back for one representative of each film participating in the competition program of full-length films.

The Festival covers the costs of meals and hotel accommodation (in the city of Anadyr, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) for one representative of each film participating in the competition program of full-length films.

All other expenses related to the trip to and the stay at the Festival are borne by the participants themselves, including:

expenses for obtaining visas for staying in the territory of the Russian Federation;
expenses related to ticket changes;
expenses related to upgrading the comfort level of the flight and the accommodation during the Festival and while traveling to and from the venue of the Festival;
transfers to/from the airport, except for the transfers in Moscow and in Anadyr.

The Festival does not cover the expenses related to the arrival and the stay at the Festival of the participants of the short film competition program.

The Festival covers the costs of the transport agent (both inbound and outbound), as well as the costs of transportation, storage and insurance of the electronic media carrying the selected films. In case of loss of or damage to the electronic media, the liability of the Festival arises only within the cost of this electronic media as specified by the producer in the technical data sheet of the film.

Participation of the representatives of the films and of the guests in the events of the business program of the Festival is a mandatory condition of their stay at the Festival. By agreeing to come, the guest confirms proficiency in at least one of the working languages of the Festival (Russian, English, Chinese) at a level sufficient for public speaking, participation in discussions and communication with media representatives.

OFFICIAL EVENTS DURING THE FESTIVAL

In addition to the competition and out-of-competition film screenings, the Festival, in pursuit of its mission, carries out social, cultural and educational activities in the form of a number of official events. These events may include:

a business program (master classes, meetings, public discussions, round tables, conferences with representatives of the professional film community, as well as with representatives of local authorities, Russian and foreign media, etc.);
an educational program (master classes, lectures and meetings held primarily for children and young people, including at schools, libraries and other socially significant venues, and aimed at sharing knowledge in the field of cinema);
a cultural program (creative evenings of the guests of the Festival, creative meetings, concerts, open sports training sessions, exhibitions, performances, cultural presentations, excursions for the participants and guests of the Festival, etc.).

FINAL PROVISIONS

The Artistic Director of the Festival has the right to resolve all matters not covered by these Regulations.

If there are objective reasons, amendments and additions may be made to these Regulations on the initiative of the Organizing Committee of the Festival, the Artistic Director of the Festival or the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

Participation in the Festival implies agreement with all provisions of these Regulations and compliance with them.

The full text of the Regulations of the XI Arctic International Film Festival "Golden Raven" (edition of September 22, 2026) is available on the official website of the Festival www.goldenravenfilmfest.ru.