Transilvania International Film Festival

The 25th Transilvania International Film Festival took place in Cluj-Napoca from 12 to 21 June 2026. At the closing gala on 20 June, Carlos Saiz’s Lionel won the Transilvania Trophy. The Best Performance award was shared by the four cast members of Truly Naked: Caolán O’Gorman, Andrew Howard, Alessa Savage and Safiya Benaddi. TIFF marked its anniversary with a special TIFF.25 trophy for Corneliu Porumboiu. Roman Gutek received the Janovics Jenő Award, Anda Onesa the Excellence Award, supported by Nova Power & Gas, and Ornella Muti the Lifetime Achievement Award, supported by the Regina Maria healthcare network. TIFF’s RO Days Industry Events awarded development projects and professional support in 2026 through Transilvania Pitch Stop, Drama Room, Book to Screen, Works in Progress and the Alex. Leo Șerban scholarship programme. At Transilvania Pitch Stop, Martin Iliev’s Fathers received €25,000 in post-production services from Chainsaw Europe. Philip Sotnychenko’s Times New Roman won the €5,000 Avanpost development award, while Adrian Silișteanu’s Another Story About My Son received the €1,500 CNC Moldova award. Mara Crăcăleanu, representing Sun Offspring, was selected for the Connecting Cottbus cocoLAB 2026 programme for emerging producers from Romania and Moldova. Matei Lucaci-Grünberg’s Decebal’s Wedding received complete feature-film post-production services from Luno. Drama Room’s best series project award went to Rodica Dominteanu’s Stay in School!, with a development agreement from PRO TV. Gabriel Corneanu’s The Story of a Lost Boy received a creative residency at Bethlen-Haller Castle, offered by Jidvei. In Book to Screen, Ioana Maria Stăncescu’s Tot ce i-am promis tatălui meu received the €1,000 award from Dacin Sara. Ruxandra Burcescu’s Greu de pătruns în pădurea de mesteceni secured a one-year option agreement with PRO TV, remunerated at €5,000 gross. The €30,000 Transilvania HBO award in Works in Progress recognised We Won’t Get Old Together by Marius Olteanu and The Fear’s Artist by Cristi Iftime. The award provides a direct HBO licence that may include acquisition or financing to complete the projects, together with a guaranteed broadcast period and possible exhibition on HBO channels and HBO Max. The €3,000 Alex. Leo Șerban scholarship, offered with Conceptual Lab by Theo Nissim, recognised Marius Papară for Ibida and Ana-Maria Comănescu for Paradox. Marina Palii received a €1,000 special mention, supported by Conceptual Lab, recognising a young Romanian actor’s notable achievement in a short or feature that premiered in 2025. Darius Zelenco received the €500 AFFT special mention for Kinostetic.