Dubrovnik Film Festival

Dubrovnik Film Festival

Also known as: DUFF
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DUFF – Dubrovnik Film Festival is an international festival of films made by children and young people under 20, held in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Its starting point is the Mediterranean: the animation, fiction and documentary competitions are open to young authors who live or work in Mediterranean countries and are divided into two age groups, up to 15 and 16–20. An open category for experimental work and a thematic category accept films from anywhere; the 2026 theme is belonging. Alongside the competition screenings, the festival runs workshops on directing, screenwriting, camera, editing and visual storytelling, a school programme and sessions for teachers, with film and media literacy as a central aim. The organisers are the public cultural institution Kinematografi Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik Cinemas) and the Šipan Film School association, known for its summer film school on the island of Šipan since 2003.

The dates for the 2026 edition are 15–18 October 2026, with screenings at the Slavica open-air cinema and the Sloboda and Visia cinemas.

Country

Croatia

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Short, Student

Awards and prizes

Best animated film, best fiction film and best documentary film, each in both age groups (up to 15 and 16–20). Best film in the open category. Best thematic film. Audience award. Festival Grand Prix. The awards are not monetary.

Festival rules

The animation, fiction and documentary competitions are open to authors who live and/or work in a Mediterranean country and are under 20 when the film is made. The open (experimental) category and the thematic category are open to authors under 20 from any country; the thematic category takes films exploring a sense of belonging. Animation, fiction and documentary are judged in two age groups: up to 15 and 16–20. The open and thematic categories are single categories. Films by individuals, clubs and schools are accepted; each author or organisation may enter up to two works per category. Entry is free. Maximum length is 15 minutes including credits. Films may be submitted by the authors, their teachers, mentors or production organisation. Submission is through FilmFreeway only; if that is impossible, contact the organiser by email to agree another way. All films need English subtitles (an .srt file is preferred, burned-in subtitles are accepted) and two stills. The festival may screen submitted films publicly to promote young filmmaking and keep copies for its archive for non-commercial purposes. Selected authors are notified via FilmFreeway and email. Selected participants receive free accommodation and meals for one young filmmaker and one accompanying adult per film; travel costs are not covered.

Contacts

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