Prague Film Festival 2027 (3)

Festival start: 28 April 2027      Festival end: 02 May 2027

PRAGUE FILM FESTIVAL 2027 (April 28 – May 2, 2027 )

The Prague Film Festival is an international film festival designed for film professionals, critics, distributors, enthusiasts, and film school students. The festival has already been attended by:

• Gunnur Schlüter: Special Mention at Festival de Cannes 2023
• Elzbieta Benkowska: Special Mention at Krakow Film Festival 2024
• Izabela Plucinska: Silver Bear at Berlinale 2005
• Réka Bucsi: Golden Bear at Berlinale 2018, EFA Nominee 2017
• Alexandra Hroncová: Founder of famufilms.cz
• Maximilian Breckwoldt: Director of Berlin Animation Hub
• Dániel Erdélyi: Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2008
• Lukáš Vacula: Finalist at the Student Academy Awards 2025
• Tereza Halamová: Winner of the Czech Lion Award for Best Short Film 2026

During its first year, the festival also hosted Masterclasses under the banner of the SHORTS WRAP. Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter led a session focused on micro short live-action films under 5 minutes, based on her Cannes-awarded work. The second masterclass featured Elzbieta Benkowska, also a lecturer at the Gdańsk Film School, who discussed dramaturgy and structure in short narrative films featuring two main characters. The festival plans to continue offering similar masterclasses in future editions.

During our second year, we organized several engaging industry events: a masterclass on in-depth analysis of the film The Godfather, a masterclass focused on filming in war zones, and the Anirama Pitching Forum, which brought together all film schools in the Czech Republic, including FAMU, UMPRUM, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, and the University of Creative Communication.

Notable partners of the festival include: Kino Pilotu Prague, Le Palais Art Hotel Prague, Green Garden, Go Out, Bad Flash Bar, Radio 1, Festival of Animation Berlin, Navarra International Film Festival (GOYA qualifying), dog 95 film factory, ALTUM FRAMES, Shorts Wrap, International Film Festival ZOOM ZBLIZENIA and Art2Friends.

The festival is committed to inclusion, focusing on social issues, minority stories, LGBTQ+ topics, and showcasing top-tier international films. It was founded by two young filmmakers, director Erik Jasaň and producer Hynek Spurný, with the vision to bring artistically acclaimed short and feature-length foreign films.

Several celebrated filmmakers personally presented their films at the festival, including:

• Marian Crisan (Palme d’Or winner), who premiered his new Romanian film Warboy
• Nghiem Quynh Trang (Vietnamese producer), with Cu Li Never Cries, which had its world premiere at Berlinale Panorama,
• Aurielle Jioya (Benin), who screened NOCES D’EAU, previously awarded at Clermont-Ferrand

Each filmmaker also participated in Q\&A sessions with the audience. The festival officially welcomed 1000 attendees, which is a great success for its debut edition. Attendees enjoyed fine Czech beer and wine, and many informal connections were made—connections we believe will lead to future collaborations.

The festival closely collaborates with the SHORTS WRAP, which includes over 12 film directors whose works have premiered at Cannes, such as Raymund Ribay Gutierrez (Philippines), Helena Brooks (Australia), Javier Palleiro (Uruguay), Erenik Beqiri (Albania), Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic), and many more.

See you in Prague at Kino Pilotu, April 28 – May 2, 2027.

Cash Prizes: 700€
Screening Fee Shorts: 50€
Screening Fee Features: 300€

- BEST FEATURE FILM
• Financial award: €500.00
• 3-month MUBI membership
• DaFilms subscription
• Consultation on the next project in development with the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

- BEST SHORT FILM
• Financial award: €100.00
• 3-month MUBI membership
• DaFilms subscription
• Consultation on the next project in development with the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

- BEST CZECH SHORT FILM
• Financial award: €100.00
• 3-month MUBI membership
• DaFilms subscription
• Consultation on the next project in development with the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

- ANIRAMA PITCHING FORUM - 1ST PLACE
• Financial award: CZK 10,000
• 2 Foley sessions by Foley Stage studio
• 1 Consultation with the Shorts Wrap platform

- ANIRAMA PITCHING FORUM - 2ND PLACE
• 1 Foley session by Foley Stage studio
• 1 Consultation with the Shorts Wrap platform

- ANIRAMA PITCHING FORUM - 3RD PLACE
• 1 Foley session by Foley Stage studio

PRAGUE FILM FESTIVAL – SUBMISSION REGULATIONS
Prague Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as the “Festival”) is an international film festival dedicated to supporting contemporary cinema and discovering new cinematic voices. The following regulations govern the conditions for film submissions to the Festival programme.


1. General Conditions

1.1 All films not in English must be subtitled in English.

1.2 Submission fees are non-refundable.

1.3 Multiple submissions from the same applicant are accepted.

1.4 Applicants submitting more than five films may request a discounted submission fee.

1.5 Films are selected by the Festival’s selection committee. Its decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

1.6 The Festival accepts films from all countries worldwide.

1.7 Submissions are open to individuals, production companies, registered organizations, and professional representatives, including entities with tax identification credentials.


2. Rights and Use of Materials

2.1 The submitter confirms that they hold all necessary rights to the submitted film, including rights to music, images, sound, and all incorporated elements.

2.2 Submitted works must not infringe upon any third-party rights.

2.3 The Festival is entitled to use submitted materials and film excerpts for promotional and informational purposes, including television, online platforms, and social media.

2.4 The Festival may use excerpts of submitted films for promotional purposes without any financial compensation.

2.5 The use of artificial intelligence in the film is permitted; however, such use must be clearly disclosed in the opening or closing credits of the film.


3. Technical Requirements

3.1 If selected, the submitter must provide a screening copy in h264 format:
with embedded English subtitles, or
together with a separate .srt file containing English subtitles.


4. Categories, Duration, and Eligibility

4.1 The Festival accepts films in the following categories:
Short Film
Feature Film

4.2 Definition of film duration (excluding end credits):
Short Film: up to 30 minutes
Feature Film: over 70 minutes

4.3 Eligibility:
Only films completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible for submission.


5. Premiere Status

5.1 International Short Films:
The Festival gives preference to European or international premieres. The minimum requirement is a Czech premiere.

5.2 Czech Short Films:
No premiere status is required.

5.3 Feature Films:
A Czech premiere status is required.

5.4 Foreign (non-Czech) feature films must not have been publicly presented in the Czech Republic prior to the Festival (including television broadcast, theatrical release, VOD, SVOD, or other film festivals).


6. Partner Festivals

6.1 The Festival reserves the right to present selected films at partner festivals, including Zoom Zblíženia, Festival of Animation Berlin, Navarra International Film Festival, and Košice International Film Festival.

6.2 Screenings at partner festivals are non-commercial, non-competitive, and will not be considered as premiere screenings.


7. Awards and Prizes

7.1 The Festival presents the following awards:

Best Feature Film
Financial award: €500
3-month MUBI subscription
DaFilms subscription
Consultation on the next project in development within the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

Best Short Film
Financial award: €100
3-month MUBI subscription
DaFilms subscription
Consultation on the next project in development within the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

Best Czech Short Film
Financial award: €100
3-month MUBI subscription
DaFilms subscription
Consultation on the next project in development within the Shorts Wrap mentoring program

7.2 Financial awards will be paid within three months after the end of the Festival.

7.3 In order to receive the financial award, the recipient must issue an invoice to PRAHA FILM FESTIVAL s.r.o..

7.4 The invoice must include all legally required details and must be sent to the official Festival email address.

8. Final Provisions

8.1 The Festival is organized by PRAHA FILM FESTIVAL s.r.o..

8.2 The Festival reserves the right to change the programme, dates, venue, awards, and categories without prior notice.


9. Content Standards and Disqualification

9.1 The Festival reserves the right to reject or disqualify any submission that contains:
- extreme violence,
- pornography,
- hate speech,
- discriminatory or unlawful content.

9.2 The Festival may disqualify a film without refund of the submission fee if:
the submitted film does not comply with these regulations, required materials are not delivered in the specified format or within the deadline, the use of artificial intelligence is not properly disclosed in the film credits,
false or misleading information has been provided.


10. Legal Responsibility and Indemnification

10.1 The submitter assumes full legal responsibility for the submitted film.

10.2 The submitter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Festival, its organizers (PRAHA FILM FESTIVAL s.r.o.), partners, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising from:
- breach of copyright,
- unauthorized use of third-party materials,
- or any other legal claims related to the submitted work.


11. Withdrawal Policy

11.1 Once a film has been officially selected for the Festival programme, it may not be withdrawn from the Festival.

12. Promotional Use of Materials – Extended Rights

12.1 By submitting a film, the applicant grants the Festival the right to use:

film excerpts of up to 2 minutes,
- trailers,
- stills,
- posters,
- and other promotional materials
for marketing, promotional, and informational purposes across all media platforms, including online, television, and social media.


13. Screening Format and Delivery Compliance

13.1 Selected films must be delivered in the required technical format specified in Section 3.

13.2 Failure to deliver the screening copy in the required format and within the specified deadline may result in disqualification from the Festival programme.


14. Submission Authority and Eligibility of Applicant

14.1 Films must be submitted by an individual or entity that holds full legal rights to the work.

14.2 The Festival accepts submissions with a registered tax identification number from:
individuals,

- production companies,
- registered organizations,
- film schools,
- and authorized professional representatives.

14.3 The submitter confirms that they are legally authorized to submit the film and to grant the rights outlined in these regulations.


15. Marketing Communication

15.1 By submitting a film, the applicant agrees that the Festival may contact them regarding:
- submission status,
- Festival updates,
- partnership opportunities,
- and related promotional communication.

15.2 The Festival will process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.


16. Event Format

16.1 The Festival is organized as a physical in-person event.

16.2 The Festival reserves the right to organize the event in a hybrid or online format if necessary.


17. Official Laurels

17.1 All officially selected films and award winners will receive Prague Film Festival official laurels.


18. Award Claim and Payment Conditions (Extension)

18.1 In order to receive any financial award, the recipient must:
issue a valid invoice in accordance with Section 7, and provide all required payment details.

18.2 Failure to provide the required documentation within a reasonable timeframe may result in forfeiture of the financial award.


19. Final Compliance Clause

19.1 By submitting a film, the applicant confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to all Festival regulations.