Blue Danube Film Festival (8)

Festival start: 22 November 2025      Festival end: 30 November 2025

In 3 countries - Austria, Hungary and Slovakia

Join us for the best films and filmmakers from November 22 to 30, 2025, at the 8th Blue Danube Film Festival, taking place in Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava.



The Blue Danube Film Festival showcases independent films from around the world, encouraging creativity and experimentation. We welcome all types of films and aim to inspire talented filmmakers exploring new forms and examining societal issues through a critical lens.

Films are evaluated by our professional jury based on the criteria of their entry category, considering generally accepted filmmaking quality standards such as artistic vision, production quality, aesthetic positioning, structure, cinematography, direction, and creativity.

Selected films will be screened in art cinemas and cultural centers in Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava.

BDFF is the region's first cross-border film festival, sailing up the Danube from Budapest to Bratislava and Vienna. We will showcase short films in three cities at four festival locations. Our jury will evaluate the films, and winners will receive not only media attention but also cash prizes.

We look forward to celebrating cinema with you!

Cash Prizes: 830€

https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0025280/2024/1/
www.imdb.com/event/ev0025280/2023/1/
www.imdb.com/event/ev0025280/2022/1/
www.imdb.com/event/ev0025280/2020/1/

Categories:
Short Film - max. 40 minutes
Documentary Film - max. 40 minutes
Animation Film - max. 40 minutes
Experimental Film – max. 40 minutes
Student Film - max. 40 minutes
Super Short Film - 5 minutes or less



Awards:
Best Short Film - Prize Money + Certification
Best Super Short Film - Prize Money + Certification
Best Student Film - Prize Money + Certification
Best Documentary Film - Prize Money + Certification
Best Animation Film - Prize Money + Certification
Best Experimental Film - Prize Money + Certification


All genres and themes are allowed.


All winners will receive Prize Money and Certifications and Gold Laurels, with the "WINNER" label to be used as the filmmaker sees fit for marketing and promotional purpose.

All the movies we choose will receive "Official Selection" laurels to be used for marketing and promotional materials as the filmmaker sees fit. All the Official selection and the Winners will announced on our website, as they wish, with the links of their films and movie trailers.


Special awards:
The Student Jury will also award the best film by category.

Total prize money (planned): 1000 USD.

1. Blue Danube Film Festival accepts all forms and genres, produced after January 2023.

All films must have English subtitles. Films that have already participated in the previous Official Selections of Blue Danube Film Festival will not be eligible for the competition.

2. Blue Danube Film Festival only accepts digital submissions of HD quality (720p or better).

3. The total length of the Super Short movies is maximum 5 minutes, the movies in other categories are maximum 40 minutes.

4. In the categories Short, Super Short, Student, Animation, Documentary and Experimental you can submitting films from all over the world.

5. Each filmmaker can submit several projects, but each production must be accompanied by a separate entry and fee.

6. All fees are non-refundable.

7. The filmmaker shall certify to have full rights. They are responsible for acquiring copyrights, licenses and releases for media used in their films. The filmmaker will indemnify the organizers of the Festival against all claims, demands, costs, damages, expenses (including legal fees), proceedings and losses resulting from the screening of the film at the Festival or from claims by any third parties.

8. Films submitted must not strengthen the racial, ethnic, religious, gender or politic conflicts, incitement to offenses or other violations of law or must not be pornographic. Applicants whose films does not meet these requirements can be excluded from the competition by the Organizers.

9. By submitting their film, filmmaker gives Blue Danube Film Festival the right to post their posters, trailers, website and social media links on our website. If the filmmaker wants to keep his movie private, we will only mention the movie title, director and a movie poster (if one is available).

10. The Festival treats all submissions with utmost care and confidentiality. The filmmaker agrees that if his film is selected for public screening, the Festival can download it for screening. The filmmaker does not ask any financial compensation for the screening.

11. Official Selection movies can be viewed in cinema or/and Cultural Centre (Vienna, Budapest, as well as some of them in Bratislava).

12. All selected films and winners will receive the laurels and certificates via email. Money prizes will be sent by transfer.

13. The selected films can be screened by BDFF maximum 2 times after the Festival.

14. The jury's decision is final.

15. The Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in regulations or scheduling.