From cinematographers at the top of their craft and a spotlight on Asian cinema to bold feminist voices and countless fresh perspectives, this autumn’s film festivals promise far more than just a pleasant time in a cinema.
Did you know that Central and Eastern Europe host a vibrant lineup of events that rival the major festivals in prestige, diversity, and sheer cinematic energy? Every year, thousands of film lovers gather here to discover stories from across the globe: intimate documentaries, inventive shorts, groundbreaking features, and imaginative animations.
We’ve curated ten festivals worth marking on your calendar this season. Some with decades of tradition, others strongly carving out their place in the cultural landscape. Whether you’re seeking premieres, panel discussions, or just the passion of watching films with a like-minded crowd, there’s a festival here to spark your curiosity and maybe even inspire a trip.
Ars Independent Festival
While dedicated to films, animations, music videos, and video games, Ars Independent Festival also hosts the Black Horse of Animation Competition and the Black Horse of Music Videos Competition.
Among other titles yet to be revealed, this year’s rich programme offers the attendees the possibility to see Robert Eggers’ retrospective and a variety of animations straight from the major festivals.
Date: October 7–12
Place: Katowice, Poland
More information: https://arsindependent.pl/
Etiuda & Anima International Film Festival
For over thirty years, the goal of this event has been to juxtapose the achievements of art and film school students from all continents with the works of the authors of artistic animation, including professional, student, and independent filmmakers. During the festival, two main competitions take place – Etiuda, focused on short films made by students from art and film schools around the world, and Anima, a competition for short animations created by both professionals and beginners. This year, we’ll also see the first edition of the ANIMA 60’+ competition for feature-length animations.
In the past, the festival has also been a place for people to gather and gain knowledge through various workshops dedicated to scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and animation, under the masterful eye of well-known artists and teachers from the world’s leading film schools. In 2025, this tradition continues with planned exhibitions of Simone Massi and Lea Vidaković, as well as animation workshops with Koji Yamamura, seminars and masterclasses on film criticism, VR, composing music for animated films, and more. Among the special events, the audience will have a chance to see the selections of animations from Japan, Finland, Bulgaria, and Portugal, curated by renowned animators and film festival directors.
Date: October 14 – 19
Place: Kraków, Poland
More information: https://etiudaandanima.pl/
Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
First organised in 1997, Ji.hlava is now one of the largest festivals of auteur documentary cinema in CEE. The main competition section, called Opus Bonum, comprises up to 18 feature films, with the winners being then eligible for the pre-selection of the Academy Awards and the European Film Awards.
The Inspiration Forum, a side event to the Ji.hlava IDFF, invites dozens of Czech and international guests and offers lectures, workshops, and debates. This year’s themes of the Festival’s Inspiration Forum are Europe, love, money, and radicalisation.
Date: October 24 – November 2
Place: Jihlava, Czech Republic
More information: https://www.ji-hlava.com/
Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist
Probably not the easiest festival in the world to organise at the moment, but Molodist keeps going strong nevertheless. Kyiv IFF Molodist was first organised in 1970 as a screening of works by students of the Faculty of Cinematography at the Karpenko-Kary University in Kyiv. Since then, the main goal has been to promote young filmmakers and help them secure a place in the film industry, with Xavier Dolan, François Ozon, Danny Boyle, and more having had their debut throughout the festival’s history.
Nowadays, each year’s programme includes the works of talented young artists from all continents. And the 54th edition will once again host the main sections – student, the first short film, the first feature film, and the first professional full-length documentary film, along with competitions: international, national, teen screen, and documentary.
Date: October 25 – November 2
Place: Kyiv, Ukraine
More information: https://molodist.com/en
American Film Festival
AFF is a one-of-a-kind event in Europe, and the only festival in both Poland and CEE devoted entirely to American cinema in all its richness. From daring underground works to bold independent productions and select examples of artistic Hollywood filmmaking, the programme showcases titles from major festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, and leading U.S. festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca, breaking the stereotype of American cinema as merely light entertainment.
A hallmark of the festival is the direct involvement of filmmakers. Each year, dozens of directors, both emerging voices and established creators, meet audiences through debates and masterclasses. Another highlight is the Indie Star Award, honouring outstanding independent filmmakers who have shaped the landscape of American cinema with their originality and uncompromising vision.
Date: November 6 – 11
Place: Wrocław, Poland & online
More information: https://www.americanfilmfestival.pl/index.do?lang=en
European Film Festival Scanorama
One of the largest international film festivals in Lithuania features over 100 films, selected from prestigious festivals like the ones in Berlin, Cannes, and Venice. The programme aims to encompass trends in contemporary European filmmaking and attracts about 30,000 attendees each year.
Many up-and-coming filmmakers – like Mark Gerstorfer and Saulius Baradinskas – have been awarded at the festival and have then achieved international success, making Scanorama the event to follow.
Date: November 6–23
Place: Various cities across Lithuania
More information: https://scanorama.lt/en
Zagreb Film Festival
Croatia’s largest international film festival showcases a variety of both the latest international and domestic productions. Focusing on contemporary independent cinema and directorial debuts, ZFF gives its audience a chance to see titles that are often hard to find in mainstream media, with its industry programme serving as a vital platform for education and networking in the region.
This year’s edition will offer around a hundred films from all around the world, among which several will compete for the festival’s main award, the Golden Pram. For over two decades, through both a festival and later a distribution platform, and by showcasing films rarely seen in multiplexes, the festival has been instrumental in cultivating generations of audiences who appreciate the art of cinema.
Date: November 10–16
Place: Zagreb, Croatia & online
More information: https://zff.hr/en/home/
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
It started in 2007 as an event dedicated to Vietnamese cinematography; however, as the interest in Asian films grew, the selection expanded each year as well. The screenings are accompanied by panel discussions with the creators, lectures, talks, and other side events, aimed at showcasing the contemporary face of Asian cultures, their diversity and significance as broadly as possible.
Date: November 12–19 (offline) & November 12– 30 (online)
Place: Warsaw, Poland & online
More information: https://www.piecsmakow.pl/index.do
EnergaCamerimage: International Festival of the Art of Cinematography
As an event dedicated to cinematography and cinematographers, the festival focuses on a film’s visual, aesthetic, and technical qualities and awards films accordingly.
The festival is also a place for developing connections, supporting emerging artists, and providing knowledge. Each year, the attendees are offered a chance to participate in a series of meetings, seminars, and workshops led by prominent cinematographers and directors.
From David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch to Quentin Tarantino, the festival has hosted many acclaimed filmmakers. Many of the winners of the Gran Prix in previous years were then nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, like Florian Hoffmeister for Tàr (2022) or Joshua James Richards for Nomadland (2020).
Date: November 15–22
Place: Toruń, Poland
More information: https://camerimage.pl/en
Animateka International Animated Film Festival
Every early December, Animateka presents a wide range of short animated films from Central and Eastern Europe in the main competition programme, along with the most original European student films, and carefully selected international films for younger audiences, as well as various special programmes. In short, it’s an international festival dedicated to high-quality auteur animated films.
With its goal of establishing a link of cooperation between professionals from around the world while promoting the art of animated film among the general public, Animateka is the place to be, whether you’re a filmmaker or “simply” a film lover.
Date: December 1–7
Place: Ljubljana, Slovenia
More information: https://www.animateka.si/
