Azimuth (1)

Festival start: 26 October 2026      Festival end: 30 October 2026

Welcome to the AZIMUTH International Film Festival — where cinema doesn’t just tell stories; it changes the angle of perception.

In navigation, azimuth is not a destination — it’s a direction. In cinema, it’s the creative bearing chosen by a filmmaker. We are not interested in well-trodden paths. We are looking for bold new routes.

AZIMUTH is a compass for contemporary cinema, based in the heart of Moscow.

We exist to discover, support, and celebrate films defined by a unique authorial vision and artistic courage. Our mission is to create a dynamic platform where fearless debutants and established masters meet in dialogue — united not by where they have been, but by where they are heading.

We are searching for films that:

• Set a new creative vector and redefine cinematic language.

• Explore urgent themes through an unexpected, sharp lens.

• Possess a strong directorial voice and uncompromising originality.

• Demonstrate artistic integrity and mastery of craft.

• Dare to experiment with form and narrative.

Our curated competition programs — Feature Films, Documentary Films, Short Films, and Animated Films — are dedicated to works that act as true navigational tools. They don't provide easy answers; they ask the right questions, charting courses through the complex oceans of human emotion, social upheaval, and personal discovery.

If your film is a journey, not just a product; if it seeks to recalibrate the viewer's compass and reveal new coordinates of meaning — then you have found your festival.

Submit your work. Choose your direction. Let’s redraw the map of cinema together.

AZIMUTH. Cinema that changes the angle of vision.

At the AZIMUTH International Film Festival, we honor courage, originality, and craftsmanship. In each of the four competition programs (Animation, Documentary, Short Fiction, and Feature Fiction), the jury awards the following prizes:

Main Prizes & Key Awards:
• Grand Prix "AZIMUTH" – for the Best Film in the competition.
• Prize "For Bold Artistic Expression" – a key festival award. Presented to the film that most radically and consistently upholds its unique authorial vision, form, or theme.
• Prize "Steadfastness to the Course" – awarded for the conscious and profound development of an authorial style and theme, for steadfastly following a chosen creative vector.

Professional Awards:
• Best Directing.
• Best Screenplay.
• Best Cinematography (in Fiction and Documentary competitions) / Best Animation and Visual Design (in Animation competition).
• Best Music or Sound Design.
• Best Acting (in Fiction competitions) / Prize for Best Creative Embodiment (in non-fiction formats — for work with a protagonist, expressiveness of a character, etc.).
• Best Editing.

Special & Additional Awards:
• "Discovery" Prize – for the Best Debut Film in the competition.
• Audience Choice Award – determined by audience voting during the festival.
• Special Jury Diploma – for special achievements.
• The Festival Directorate and Jury reserve the right to establish additional special prizes.

General Recognition:
All films selected for the official competition program receive an Official Festival Diploma (Diploma of Participation).

REGULATIONS
of the AZIMUTH International Film Festival

Festival motto: Cinema that changes the angle of vision.

1. PREAMBLE AND OBJECTIVES

1.1. The AZIMUTH International Film Festival (hereinafter – the Festival) is established to discover, support, and promote cinematic works possessing a unique authorial vision and artistic boldness.

1.2. The Festival positions itself as a compass in the contemporary film process, focusing on works that set new directions, explore urgent themes from unexpected angles, and introduce new names.

1.3. The Festival's mission is to create a platform in Moscow for dialogue between bold debutants and established masters, where value lies not in the path traveled, but in the direction chosen.

2. ORGANIZATION AND DATES

2.1. The Festival is held with the support of the "Antares" TV channel, a consortium of creative organizations, and film art professionals.

2.2. Dates: October 26 – 30, 2026.

2.3. Venue: Russian Federation, Moscow.

2.4. Working languages of the Festival: Russian and English.

3. COMPETITION PROGRAMS
The Festival consists of four main competitions:

3.1. Animation Competition

* Runtime: 1 – 15 minutes.

* Works in all animation techniques are accepted.

3.2. Documentary Film Competition

* Runtime: up to 30 minutes.

* Priority is given to films with a strong authorial stance and innovative language.

3.3. Short Fiction Film Competition

* Runtime: up to 20 minutes.

* Works of all genres are accepted.

3.4. Feature Film Competition

* Runtime: 50 – 120 minutes.

* Feature-length fiction works are accepted. The key criterion is the originality of the director's statement.

4. CONDITIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA

4.1. General Conditions:

* Films completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible.

* Preference is given to world, international, and Russian premieres.

* Participation in the Festival is free of charge.

4.2. Selection Criteria:
Selection is based on the following qualities, corresponding to the "Azimuth" philosophy:

* Originality of the creative concept and directorial style.

* Artistic integrity and quality of execution.

* Relevance of the theme and the power of its exploration.

* Boldness in the choice of form and narrative.

5. SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

5.1. Submissions are accepted via the platforms «Наши фестивали» (Our Festivals), Festhome.


5.2. Submission period: from February 1 until August 15, 2026 (inclusive).

5.3. Required materials:

* A link to the film for online preview. The file must have English subtitles if the original language is not English or Russian.

* A completed online application with a synopsis, director's biography, and filmography.

* Stills from the film (at least 3, high resolution), poster.

6. SELECTION AND JURY

6.1. The selection of films for the competition programs is carried out by the Selection Committee, appointed by the Festival Directorate.

6.2. The selection results and the Festival program will be announced on October 5, 2026.

6.3. The evaluation of the competition programs and the determination of winners is carried out by an International Jury, composed of distinguished film professionals. The jury composition is announced before the start of the Festival.

6.4. The decisions of the Selection Committee and the Jury are final and not subject to appeal.

7. AWARDS

7.1. The following awards are presented in each of the four competition programs:

* The Grand Prix "AZIMUTH" for Best Film.

* Prize "For Bold Artistic Expression" (An original, key award for "Azimuth". Presented to the film that most radically and consistently defends its unique perspective, form, or theme, risking being misunderstood).

* Prize "Steadfastness to the Course" – for the consistent development of authorial style and theme. (Awarded to a work demonstrating conscious and profound movement along a chosen creative "azimuth").

* Best Directing.
* Best Screenplay.
* Best Cinematography (for Fiction and Documentary) / Best Animation and Visual Design (for Animation).
* Best Music or Sound Design.
* Best Acting (for Fiction films) / Prize for Best Creative Embodiment (for non-fiction forms, e.g., for work with a documentary subject or expressiveness of an animated character).
* Best Editing.
* "Discovery" Prize – for the best debut film in the competition.
* Audience Choice Award.
* Special Jury Diploma.
* Additional special prizes (at the Jury's discretion).

7.2. All films participating in the official program receive a Festival Diploma.

8. PARTICIPANTS' OBLIGATIONS

8.1. Participants whose films are selected for the program are obliged to:

* Provide the film for screening in one of the required digital formats (mp4, mov, DCP, ProRes) within the deadlines set by the Directorate.

* Provide all necessary promotional materials for the catalog and publications.

* Grant the Festival permission to use film excerpts (up to 3 minutes) for media announcements and promotional purposes.

8.2. Festival Rights:

* For the duration of the Festival (October 26-30, 2026), the rights holder gratuitously grants the Organizer a non-exclusive license for the public screening of the film on the premises of the Festival's cinemas in Moscow. The number of screenings cannot exceed three (3) within the official program (competitive, non-competitive, or gala screening).

* This right is granted solely for the purposes of conducting the Festival and does not include the right for television, internet, or any other broadcast, nor for the reproduction and distribution of film copies.

9. FINAL PROVISIONS

9.1. Submitting an application implies full and unconditional agreement with these Regulations.

9.2. The Festival Directorate reserves the right to make minor changes to the Regulations with mandatory notification of participants on the official website.

9.3. All matters not covered by these Regulations shall be resolved by the Festival Directorate.

Contacts of the Festival Directorate:
Official website:

https://azimuth.moscow
Email for inquiries: info@azimuth.moscow