Early Bird International Student Film Festival (Международен студентски филмов фестивал „Ранно пиле“)

Early Bird International Student Film Festival

Международен студентски филмов фестивал „Ранно пиле“

Also known as: Early Bird, Early Bird ISFF, Ранно пиле
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Early Bird presents short fiction, animation and documentary films made by university students in Sofia, Bulgaria. Founded by the American Foundation for Bulgaria in 2005, the festival combines an international competition with masterclasses, workshops, screenings of new Bulgarian cinema and programmes from partner festivals. Its jury presidency follows a distinctive tradition: the previous edition’s Grand Award winner returns as President of the Jury.

The 22nd edition dates are 1–5 November 2026, with screenings at the G8 Cultural Center. The American Foundation for Bulgaria organizes the festival with the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) as co-organizer. The programme includes 70 films from 30 countries and a participatory animation workshop.

Country

Bulgaria

Focus

Animation, Documentary

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Short, Student

Dates

1 November 2026 — 5 November 2026

Awards and prizes

2026 prize fund: USD 4,700 across 12 categories. Early Bird Grand Award: original sculpture, diploma and USD 1,000 toward the next film project. Best Bulgarian Film and Best Foreign Film: diploma and USD 500 each. President of the Jury Award, Best Fiction, Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Directing, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and SEECS Award: diploma and USD 300 each. Special mentions receive a diploma. A film may receive more than one award.

Festival rules

2026 competition: university-student short films in Fiction, Animation or Documentary, no longer than 30 minutes, completed after 1 January 2025. The director must have been a student during filming; stamped and signed university confirmation is required. Previously submitted films are ineligible. A director may enter two films in different categories using separate forms; each film enters one category only. Entry is free. Non-English dialogue requires burned-in English subtitles. HD screening copies must be AVI, MOV or MPEG-4 (H.264). Applicants must hold rights to all third-party material and grant non-exclusive, royalty-free promotional use of excerpts, stills and trailers.

Contacts

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