Arctic Open

Arctic Open

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Arctic Open focuses on independent and regional cinema connected with northern communities, Arctic landscapes and local cultural identities. Based in Arkhangelsk, Russia, the festival combines competitions for feature-length fiction, live-action shorts, documentaries and films for children and young audiences with screenings and discussions across the Arkhangelsk Region. Its activities extend beyond the main event through filmmaking education, the Arctic Open Film Marathon and screenings in smaller settlements under the Big Cinema to Smaller Screens programme.

The festival is organised by the Bereginya Pomor Culture Foundation in cooperation with Northern (Arctic) Federal University. The ninth edition dates are 4–7 December 2025 in Arkhangelsk, with festival screenings across the region. Four separate juries assess its competition categories.

Country

Russian Federation

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Feature, Short

Awards and prizes

The festival awards statuettes, special prizes, diplomas and gifts. Competition awards cover best feature film, live-action short, documentary and film for children and youth; directing, screenplay and cinematography in fiction and documentary competitions; and directing and child performance in the children’s competition. Additional distinctions include sponsor prizes, Special Jury Mention and an award for contribution to Russian filmmaking.

Festival rules

The ninth-edition regulations (2025) accept fiction and documentary films produced in 2024–2025. Feature-length submissions have a maximum duration of 90 minutes and shorts 30 minutes. Submission is free. Russian films require English subtitles; international films require Russian subtitles. Selected films are supplied in DCP format. An author may submit one film per category, and a film may enter only one category. Selected films require bilingual catalogue materials, a director biography and filmography, stills, dialogue or continuity sheets and a trailer link. Festival programmes may screen a film up to four times without additional written permission, including the Film Marathon through 30 May 2026. The Russian regulations govern disputes.

Contacts

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