International film festival Kinenova Skopje (10)

Festival start: 02 October 2025      Festival end: 07 October 2025

Main Program (International competition), which will regularly feature films from all over the world from among a director’s first and second feature films. The idea is to promote new filmmakers who are making a debut or are only just starting their careers.

This program’s goal is to identify and promote relatively unknown filmmakers’ new film stories, giving them a chance at the beginning of their film careers.

The idea for this film festival emanated from the dire need for a wider space to present debut films by many new filmmakers from the region and all over the world.

The International Film Festival KineNova Skopje, therefore, includes activities such as promotion, support, incentives, exchange of experiences, and film awards. It is a venue for new filmmakers to showcase new stories and offer a fresh perspective of humanity and the world we live in.

The festival and the city of Skopje have the honor to be the meeting point for new filmmakers and a springboard for their respective career paths.

Official festival awards that the jury should give:

- Grand Prix for the Best feature film at the festival;
- BEST FILM in the section DEBUTANTS for the first or second movie from the director;
BEST FILM in the section PERSPECTIVES for the third or fourth movie from the director;
- Best director award;
- Best screenplay award;

The award given by the audience:
- The best film from the Official Selection according to the festival audience

The jury for the Short Film Program will give:
- Best short film award
- SPECIAL MENTION

Rules and Regulations of International Film Festival KineNova Skopje


GENERAL PROVISIONS


Article 1


“KineNova” is an annual international film festival in Skopje, R. Macedonia.

The full international name of the festival is “International Film Festival KineNova Skopje”.

The short international name is “IFF KINENOVA”.

The 10th anniversary festival edition of IFF KINENOVA 2025 will be held in Skopje from 2nd to 7th of October 2025.


Article 2


The Festival supports and encourages new, young filmmakers, turning Skopje and The city of Ohrid (Lichnidos) into a space for their film ideas and stories.

The main festival program ( INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ) will, therefore, feature directorial debut fiction, documentary, animated, or experimental films, i.e. director’s first, second, or third feature films from all over the world.


PROGRAM


Article 3


Competing programs:

The Main Festival Program ( International competition ) will regularly feature the director’s first and second feature films from all over the world.

Short films ( International short film competition )


Article 4


Additional, non-contesting programs:

World cinema overview

Overview of the Balkan cinematography

Tribute to one world-acclaimed film director

Focus on

0% Censored


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS


Article 5


Following regulations govern the submission of all films for the Main Program ( International competition ):

It must be the director’s first or second feature film of the director;

The lapse between the film's premiere and the beginning of the festival must not exceed 24 months

The film's duration must be over 70 minutes

No TV or web broadcasting of the film is permitted until the end of the festival

These regulations govern the submission of all films to the

Short film program ( International short film competition );

The film’s duration must not exceed 30 minutes;

The lapse between the film’s premiere and the beginning of the festival must not exceed 24 months

No TV or web broadcasting of the film is permitted until the end of the festival


Article 6


The following regulations govern the submission of all films for the additional, non-contesting programs:

No TV or web broadcasting of the film is permitted until the end of the festival

The film’s duration must be over 70 minutes

The film selection will prioritize regional premieres


FESTIVAL JURY


Article 7


The festival's main jury is international and consists of 3-7 distinguished representatives of the world’s film-making industry.

A separate international jury of 3-5 distinguished representatives of the world’s film-making industry will rule on the International short film competition.

A country may appoint no more than one representative to the jury.

The juries must have at least two sessions/meetings discussing films during the festival.

The Jury's presidents of both juries have the right to impose their opinion on the films in competition and their evaluation principles.
The jury’s verdicts are made with an open vote, whereby the majority decides. In a case of equal votes for two or more films, the vote of the Jury's President will be decisive.


AWARDS


Article 8


Official festival awards that the Main festival jury will give:

GRAND PRIX Award for Best Feature Film

Best director award

Best screenplay award

This jury might give a Special mention award

The award that the festival should give:

Аudience award:

Best film in the International competition according to the festival audience

The international short film competition jury will give:

Best short film award

Best Macedonian Short Film Award

This jury might give a special mention award.


FILM SUBMISSIONS


Article 9


Directors, producers, distributors, film production or distributing companies, national film institutions, or anyone authorized to represent the films may enter submissions for the competing and non-competing programs.

In order to complete the submission entry, you must properly complete an official online entry form with the names of all the film contributors, a brief synopsis, a long synopsis, technical details, the director’s biography, and filmography, and a statement verifying that it is the director’s first or second long feature film if the film is submitted in the Main competition program International competition.

Incomplete entry forms will not be considered.


Article 10


Entering the online entry form for the submissions the applicants comply with the Festival Entry Rules and Regulations and guarantee the information provided.


Article 11


The deadline for submitting the online entry form for the films in all the programs is 20th September 2025.


Article 12


There is an entry fee that depends on the section.


Article 13


Film entries may be submitted in the form of password-protected URL links.

All URL links must be active until 15th October 2025. The film must be accessible for download at the same link.

The DVD must contain the last version of the film in the original language that it was filmed in, and non-English films must have English subtitles.


Article 14


The Festival reserves the right to keep the DVD copies of the films that will be shown in any festival program and to make additional digital copies for its film archives.


Article 15


Subject to consent is whether the digital copies may be shown at free-of-charge non-commercial events.


FILM SELECTION, THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMS, AND SCREENINGS


Article 16


After the program selectors choose the films for each category, the festival will inform the distributors, producers, or authorized representatives of the selected films by e-mail.

The announcement of the final list of selected films for each program section will be no later than 10 days before the festival's opening.


Article 17


Each selected film in any festival program can be screened once as a premiere and can have no more than two reruns during the festival.
Public broadcasting of the festival films is not permitted anywhere out of North Macedonia during the festival. If the festival has an agreement for broadcasting of some films it will be with geo-blocking restrictions on the territory of North Macedonia only.


FILM COPIES


Article 18


Screening copies in HD or DCP formats of the films selected in any festival program must be available to the festival by no later than 20th September 2025.

Along with the film copy for the films selected in any festival program section, sending dialog lists in English, three film photos, and a photo of the director is also required.

Sending a trailer, posters, and additional promo materials for the film is desirable, but optional.


Article 19


The festival reserves the right to reject technically defective film copies and low-quality copies that might obstruct the screening.


Article 20


Shipping fees for sending the film screening copies for all festival programs to Macedonia should be covered by the participant.

The festival is obliged to return the film copies within 4 weeks' latest from the festival closure to the address provided by the participant, covering all shipping fees.


Article 21


The festival takes responsibility to protect and guard the screening copy from the moment it enters the festival center.

In case of damage to the screening copy from its receipt at the festival center to the moment of delivery, the festival undertakes the obligation to compensate for the damage or make a new copy.


Article 22


The festival appoints a three-member jury of experts to evaluate the technical correctness of the film copies and their format (hard drives, USB, 35mm film prints ) upon receipt and before shipping them back to the participant.


ACCOMMODATION and ACCREDITATIONS


Article 23


The festival will invite the directors or screenwriters as representatives of the films in the International competition program section to take part in the event according to their financial capacity.

The festival takes responsibility to provide accreditations, accommodation, and travel expenses for the invited participants.


FINAL REMARKS


Article 24


The festival’s Council rules on any issues not mentioned under these Rules and Regulations and that are compliant with the organizer’s Statute.