Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF)

Overview

The Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF) is a nine-day film festival held in Brussels, Belgium. The 9th edition runs September 4 to 12, 2026, across three venues: UGC De Brouckere, Cinema Galeries, and Cinema Palace. BRIFF programs arthouse cinema through three competitive sections and hosts the Brussels CoProMarket, a co-production market for feature-length projects in development. The festival screens approximately 150 films and operates both industry and audience-facing programs.

BRIFF shifted from its previous June dates to September beginning with the 9th edition in 2026. The 2026 opening film is Notre Salut by Emmanuel Marre, which won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and will have its Belgian premiere at BRIFF. The festival's programming spans international arthouse cinema, Belgian national production, and emerging European directors.

Brussels' position as the administrative capital of the European Union shapes BRIFF's audience and industry program. The festival's industry section addresses current challenges in European cinema through networking events, training programs, and co-production support. The Brussels CoProMarket connects filmmakers developing feature-length projects with co-producers, collaborators, and key industry partners.

Key Sections

• International Competition - arthouse films from around the world, presented as Belgian premieres. Films compete for the Jury Prize of the International Competition.
• National Competition - the best Belgian film production of the year, highlighting quality and diversity of Belgian talent
• Directors' Week - emerging European directors with bold and distinctive styles, celebrating the future of European cinema. A Young Jury of five people aged 18 to 25 also awards its own prize within this section.
• Special Screenings - premieres and high-profile selections outside competition
• Belgian Panorama - broader survey of Belgian cinema
• Tributes and Retrospectives - programs dedicated to cinema legends
• Open-Air Screenings - outdoor screenings during the festival
• BRIFF Industry - co-production market, networking, and training programs

Submission Details

BRIFF accepts submissions through its official website. The festival operates a five-tier deadline structure with fees in euros:

All three competitive sections (International Competition, National Competition, and Directors' Week) share the same submission deadlines and fee structure. The submission deadline for all competitions is June 10, 2026, with notification by June 30, 2026.

The International Competition requires Belgian premiere status. The National Competition is open to Belgian films. Directors' Week focuses on emerging European directors with a bold and distinctive style.

What Filmmakers Should Know

BRIFF does not operate a traditional film market with sales agents and buyers. Its industry program is focused on co-production and professional development rather than acquisition. The Brussels CoProMarket is the most relevant industry component for filmmakers with projects in development seeking European co-production partners. The 9th edition of the CoProMarket runs alongside the festival.

For Belgian filmmakers, the National Competition is the most important domestic showcase. Selection provides access to Belgian press, audiences, and industry professionals. The festival's Brussels location means both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Belgian film communities are represented, reflecting Belgium's linguistic and cultural landscape.

For international filmmakers, the International Competition requires Belgian premiere status. Films that have already screened publicly in Belgium are not eligible. The festival's European institutional audience creates opportunities for policy-relevant and social issue films. The Directors' Week section is specifically for emerging European directors and may be a more accessible entry point for first or second-time filmmakers.

The festival's three venues are all in central Brussels, within walking distance of each other. The UGC De Brouckere is the largest venue and hosts opening and closing ceremonies. Cinema Palace and Cinema Galeries provide additional screening rooms. Brussels is accessible by train from Paris (1.5 hours), Amsterdam (2 hours), and London (2 hours via Eurostar).

Major Awards

BRIFF presents awards across its three competitive sections:

• Grand Prix - Directors' Week - top prize for emerging European directors
• Jury Prize - International Competition - top prize in the international section
• Best Belgian Film - National Competition - top prize for Belgian cinema
• Young Jury Prize - awarded by a jury of five people aged 18 to 25 within Directors' Week
• Audience Award - voted by festival audiences across categories

The festival's closing ceremony includes an awards presentation celebrating films recognized by both juries and audiences.

Festival History

BRIFF launched in 2018 as a reimagined Brussels film festival, building on Brussels' history as a film-going city with a strong arthouse culture. The festival has operated through Belgium's complex linguistic landscape, serving both French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders through its Brussels location. Belgium's filmmaking tradition includes the Dardenne brothers, who have won multiple Palmes d'Or at Cannes, alongside a vibrant independent and arthouse sector.

The festival changed its dates from June to September beginning with the 9th edition in 2026. The move to September positions BRIFF earlier in the fall festival season, following Venice and Toronto. The festival has grown its industry program over successive editions, with the Brussels CoProMarket becoming a more significant component of the event.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For European film markets and co-production, see International Film Markets.