Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival

“Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival” is an annual thematic Film Festival that takes place in a different Balkan city each year. It celebrates Balkan diversity and engages audience and creators to reflect on pressing contemporary issues through the medium of short film. The festival is framed by other cultural events like photo exhibitions, visual art events, master classes, live bands, networking events. On the 12th edition we build upon the title: Skin to (Screen to) Skin taking inspiration by the connection and the disconnection we faced during the pandemic of 2020 which broke for some the global life, but made us realise more than ever our common heritage and our common vulnerability. In 2020 we experienced loneliness, suffocation, isolation. We lost touch and we lost the beauty of reading the lips. It definitely was all about image. We invented numerous ways to get re-connected and technology was the key in eliminating this physical distance. Was it enough? In 2021 we won't go back to globality as we used to know it but we want to reconnect with our origins, the land, the nature and our senses. We invite young filmmakers to get inspired by this year’s topic and send their film until the 20th of May. We accept all film genres (fiction, animation, experimental and documentary shorts, as well as digital arts) with duration up to 30 minutes. Eligible submissions are a) those from filmmakers up to 35 years old or older than 35 under the condition that their submitted film is their debut b) with their origin from a Balkan country or/and their film to be a Balkan production and c) connected to the festival’s topic. All submissions will go through our Preselection Committee which consists of young professionals from the film industry ensuring that finalists meet all eligibility criteria. The final Jury Team consisted of well known professionals from the film industry in the Balkans will select the BBB BEST FILM which will get the first prize and 1000 euros. The other Prizes are BBB FIRST ENTRY, Special Mentions and the BBB AUDIENCE AWARD. BBB gives the opportunity to the next generation of film makers to create, share and present their films, meet and collaborate. The main objective of BBB is to motivate young people to make use of their creativity in order to reflect on issues of concern in their region. 2021 Destination: Pristina Since 2010 the Festival has taken place in 10 cities (Belgrade, Tirana, Athens, Bucharest, Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, Sofia, Brussels, Novi Sad and again Athens), featuring over 380 Balkan and over 200 non-Balkan short films. In every Festival we invite participating directors, guest speakers, BBB Ambassadors and local partners in order to create a hub for productive networking and cooperation among the region’s stakeholders. It is all about a growing community of artists, researchers, journalists, and partners. Next destination will be Pristina, Kosovo where we are going to expand the BBB growing community of artists, researchers, journalists, and partners in the region.