Breaking Down Barriers (Кино без барьеров)

Breaking Down Barriers

Кино без барьеров

Also known as: Breaking Down Barriers International Disability Film Festival, Международный кинофестиваль о жизни людей с инвалидностью «Кино без барьеров»
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Breaking Down Barriers (Kino bez barierov) is an international festival of films about the lives of people with disabilities, held in Moscow. It is run by Perspektiva, a Russian non-governmental organisation of people with disabilities, and was first held in 2002. The programme includes Russian and international fiction features and shorts, documentaries, animation and public service announcements on disability, as well as films made by or with people with disabilities and films for children, shown in competition and out of competition alongside master classes and discussions.

Screenings are made accessible: films are shown in the original language with Russian subtitles, most screenings carry audio description, sign language support is provided, and the children’s programme is dubbed into Russian. Admission is free with registration. The Festival Echo takes festival films to other Russian cities. The dates for the 14th edition are 13–16 November 2026, at several Moscow venues including the Central Children’s Store, the Library for Foreign Literature and the Cinema Museum at VDNKh.

Country

Russian Federation

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Feature, Short, Student

Dates

13 November 2026 — 16 November 2026

Awards and prizes

Under the festival regulations (13th edition, 2025), the jury of at least seven members plus a chair awards: Grand Prix; Best Director; Best Actress in a Fiction Film; Best Actor in a Fiction Film; Best Cinematography; Best Animated Film; Best Documentary Subject; Best Short Documentary; Best Short Fiction Film; Best Feature-Length Documentary; Best Feature-Length Fiction Film; Best Film for Children; Best Film about Love; Best Film Breaking Stereotypes; Most Life-Affirming Film. The Audience Award is also presented. Winners receive statuettes and diplomas; all participating films receive participation diplomas. There are no cash prizes.

Festival rules

Breaking Down Barriers accepts Russian and international works that address disability: feature-length and short fiction films, documentaries, animated films, films made by children and public service announcements. Films made by or with the close participation of people with disabilities are encouraged, as are films by film school students. Submissions are made through FilmFreeway. Under the festival regulations (13th edition, 2025): - An entry includes a link to the film with a password for viewing or download, dialogue lists, stills of at least 3200 x 2100 pixels, and the completed and signed entry form in English and Russian. - Screening formats: DCP, MP4 (preferred), MKV and others. Films in the Russian programme must have Russian subtitles; all films are screened in the original language with Russian subtitles. - Films whose content is prohibited by Russian law, including obscene language, are not accepted. Screening copies must not contain advertising. - The festival may show each selected film up to five times during the festival and, in agreement with the rights holders, at special festival events during the year, and may use excerpts of up to three minutes to promote the festival. - Members of the crews of selected Russian and foreign films (directors, actors, film subjects) may be invited at the festival's expense.

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