Baku International Film Festival

Overview

The Baku International Film Festival (BIFF) is Azerbaijan's longest-running film festival, founded in 2004 by the Young Filmmakers Centre. The 16th edition screened 78 films from 34 countries across 5 days, with all screenings open to the public free of charge. The festival operates as part of the Baku Cinema Breeze project, co-organized by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture and the Cinema Agency.

The festival's main award is the Golden Pomegranate (Qizil Nar), presented across four competition categories. Since 2024, BIFF has included a feature film competition alongside its established short film programs, making it one of the few festivals in the Caucasus region with both debut feature and short film competitive sections.

The 17th edition is tentatively scheduled for November 7 to 12, 2026. The festival takes place at the Nizami Cinema Centre in Baku.

Submission Details

Submissions are made via FilmFreeway or through the festival website. Key details for the 2025 edition:

The festival received over 1,500 film submissions in recent editions, with the most interesting films selected for the competitive program. Selected films are announced on the festival website and social media channels by October 10.

Competition Categories

The 16th edition featured four competition categories, each judged by a separate international jury:

International Competition of Debut Feature Films

Open to first-time feature directors. The 2025 winners:

• Best Film - The Lesson Learned (dir. Balint Szimler, Hungary)
• Best Director - Karst (dir. Yang Suiyi, China)
• Best Screenplay - Bonds, Roots and Passions (screenwriter: Ferit Karahan, director: Sunay Terzioglu, Turkiye)
• Best Cinematography - Guardian of the Field (cinematographer: Morteza Ghafouri, director: Seyed Mohammad Reza Kheradmandan, Iran)
• Jury Special Prize - The Kiss of the Grasshopper (dir. Elmar Imamov, Germany/Italy/Luxembourg)

International Short Film Competition

Open to international short films (under 30 minutes). The 2025 winners:

• Best Fiction Film - Baadarane (dir. Samah El Kadi, Lebanon)
• Best Documentary - When the Land Leaves (dir. Frederico Lobo, Portugal)
• Best Animation - Profitable Place (dir. Alex Maksimov, Belarus)
• Best Director of a Fiction Film - The Spectacle (dir. Balint Kenyeres, Hungary/France)
• Jury Special Mentions - The Last Sunday of May (dir. Alejandro Bordier, Luxembourg) and Village of Ballet Dancers (dir. Fatih Diren, Turkiye)

Talents of Asia Competition

Open to Asian filmmakers. The 2025 winners:

• Best Film - The Mould (dir. Mohammad Reza Nourmandipour, Iran)
• Jury Prize - The Deer's Tooth (dir. Saif Hammash, Palestine)
• Jury Special Mention - A Day in Life (dir. Ye Ouyang, China)

National Competition

Open to Azerbaijani filmmakers. The 2025 winners:

• Best Fiction Film - Early Feelings (dir. Nurlan Hasanli)
• Best Director - In the Gorge (dir. Abulfaz Iskandarov)
• Best Documentary - Palaces of Memory (dir. Metleb Mukhtarov)
• Best Student Film - The Trial (dir. Orkhan Babayev)
• Jury Diploma - Loca Tacentia (dir. Rena Ahmadova)
• Jury Special Mention - Vusala Gasimova, cinematographer of I Returned (dir. Mahammad Mammadov)

Festival History

The Baku International Film Festival was founded in 2004 by the Young Filmmakers Centre (also known as the Center for Young Cinematographers). The festival has operated under several names throughout its history:

• 2004: Samad Mardanov Film Festival of Student Directors
• 2005 to 2009: Start Student Film Festival
• 2010: Start International Film Festival of Students and Youth
• 2012: Start International Film Festival of Youth
• 2018: Start International Film Festival
• 2019 to 2023: Baku International Short Film Festival
• 2024 to present: Baku International Film Festival

The first edition in 2004 screened 10 films by 7 directors, with the winner receiving a cash prize of $100 USD. The festival has since grown to screen 78 films from 34 countries in its 16th edition.

The festival is organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture and the Cinema Agency. Festival director Fehruz Shamiyev has stated that the festival aims to be a platform for debut filmmakers, encouraging bold and unconventional approaches that enrich cinematic language. Since 2024, the debut feature film competition has been a permanent part of the program.

Within the Baku Cinema Breeze framework, the festival also hosts Cinema Days for Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan, screening films from these countries alongside the main competition program.

What Filmmakers Should Know

All festival screenings are free and open to the public. This is unusual for an international film festival and means selected films receive public exposure without ticket barriers. The trade-off is that the festival does not operate a traditional film market or industry accreditation system comparable to larger regional festivals.

The debut feature film competition is the most strategically significant category for international filmmakers. Now in its second year, this competition specifically targets first-time directors and offers jury prizes across film, director, screenplay, and cinematography categories. If your debut feature has not premiered at a major A-list festival, BIFF provides a competitive platform in the Caucasus/Caspian region.

For Asian filmmakers, the Talents of Asia competition provides a dedicated regional platform. This category is separate from the international short film competition and the debut feature competition, giving Asian filmmakers two potential entry points.

The Golden Pomegranate is the festival's main award. It is presented across all four competition categories. The festival also awards special prizes and diplomas, including the "Rasim Ojagov" Award from the Azerbaijanfilm studio and the "Best Producer" Award from the Azerbaijan Producers Guild.

The 2026 dates (November 7 to 12) are tentative. Filmmakers should verify dates on the festival website before planning submissions or travel. The submission deadlines for the 2026 edition had not been announced as of July 2026.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For Caucasus and Eurasian cinema context, see International Film Markets. Submit through the BIFF FilmFreeway page.