Overview
The Vilnius International Film Festival, known as Kino Pavasaris (Cinema Spring), is Lithuania's largest film festival. The 31st edition ran March 9-22, 2026, with the Best Film award going to The Girl in the Snow (L'Engloutie) by Louise Hemon (France), which premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight. The festival attracts over 100,000 attendees each year and screens more than 100 films across 14 Lithuanian cities, including Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai, Panevezys, Marijampole, Alytus, Gargzdai, Vilkaviskis, Silute, Utena, Ukmerge, Pasvalys, and Taurage. The 2026 edition programs 89 feature films and 52 short films that have collectively won 94 major awards at other international festivals.
The festival operates as a cinema discovery platform. It distributes auteur films in Lithuania, organizes summer events, and runs the Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV) industry event. MPV 2025 ran March 17-20 and brought international producers, sales agents, and festival programmers to Vilnius for project pitch sessions, co-production presentations, and one-on-one meetings. Accreditation for MPV is free for industry professionals.
The 2025 competition featured 8 films, including the Academy Award-winning animated feature Flow by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis (which opened the festival), April by Dea Kulumbegashvili, Toxic by Saule Bliuvaite, and The New Year That Never Came by Bogdan Muresanu. The 2026 edition introduced a short film competition for the first time, open to films with at least one European co-production country.
Submission Details
Kino Pavasaris accepts open submissions for both its feature competition and short film competition through the festival website.
Entry fees:
- Short films: EUR 20
- Feature films: EUR 40
- Fee waived for Lithuanian and Ukrainian films and co-productions
Eligibility for feature competition:
- First or second feature-length films by European directors
- Must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania
- Genres: fiction, documentary, animation, or experimental
Eligibility for short film competition (new in 2026):
- Fiction, documentary, animation, or experimental short films
- At least one European country in co-production
- Must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania
Notification: Selected filmmakers notified by December 19, 2025 for the 2026 edition.
Full submission form and terms at kinopavasaris.lt.
Key Sections and Awards
Competitive sections:
- International Competition - first and second European features competing for the Best Film award (cash prize, split equally between director and producer, funded by Vilnius City Municipality)
- Short Film Competition - European co-produced short films competing for Best Short Film (cash prize from Vilnius City Municipality)
Non-competitive sections:
- Lithuanian Premieres - new Lithuanian features and documentaries
- Lithuanian Shorts Marathon - domestic short film showcase
- Masters and Panorama - films from major international festivals
- Special Programs - thematic focuses, retrospectives, and event screenings
2026 Award Winners:
- Best Film (EUR 9,000): The Girl in the Snow (L'Engloutie) directed by Louise Hemon (France). Premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight and won the Jean Vigo Prize 2025. Condor Distribution released it in France.
- Audience Award: American Dream directed by Anthony Marciano
2025 Award Winners:
- Best Film (EUR 8,000): April (France, Italy, Georgia) directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili. Premiered at Venice, winning the Special Jury Prize. Metrograph Pictures distributed in the US; BFI distributed in the UK.
- Special Mention: The New Year That Never Came (Romania, Serbia) directed by Bogdan Muresanu
- Best Short Film: O (Iceland, Sweden) directed by Runar Runarsson
- Best Lithuanian Short Film: Past the Hill of Napoleon's Hat directed by Arnas Balciunas
- Best Lithuanian Premiere: Sacrum and Profanum in Pievenai directed by Giedre Beinoriute
- Audience Award: The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany, Iran, France) directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. Won the Special Prize at Cannes 2024. Neon distributed in North America. Kino Pavasaris Distribution acquired Baltic territory rights.
- Young Filmmaker Award: Igne Narbutaite
Past Winners
The 2025 Best Film winner April by Dea Kulumbegashvili had already won the Special Jury Prize at Venice. Metrograph Pictures released it in US theaters in April 2025, and BFI distributed in the UK. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, it also won the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award at San Sebastian.
The 2025 Audience Award winner The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof won the Special Prize, FIPRESCI Prize, and Ecumenical Jury Prize at Cannes 2024. Neon acquired North American rights. Films Boutique handled world sales across 30+ territories. Kino Pavasaris Distribution acquired Baltic rights, demonstrating the festival's integrated distribution model.
The 2026 Best Film winner The Girl in the Snow (L'Engloutie) by Louise Hemon premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2025 and won the Jean Vigo Prize. Condor Distribution released it in France. Kinology handled international sales.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- *Toxic* (2024, dir. Saule Bliuvaite, Lithuania) - Screened in the 2025 competition after winning the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2024. Bendita Film Sales handled international sales. Lithuania's Oscar submission.
- *Slow* (2023, dir. Marija Kavtaradze, Lithuania/Spain/Sweden) - Won the Directing Award at Sundance 2024. Kavtaradze is a Lithuanian filmmaker supported by the Kino Pavasaris ecosystem.
- *Pilgrims* (2021, dir. Laurynas Bareisa, Lithuania) - Won Best Film in the Horizons Extra section at Venice 2021.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The International Competition is restricted to first and second feature films by European directors. If your film is your third feature or you are not European, it will not be accepted for the main competition. Non-competition sections like Masters and Panorama may still program your film by invitation.
The Lithuanian premiere requirement is strict. Your film must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania. Since Kino Pavasaris takes over cinemas across 14 cities for two weeks, this means no prior theatrical exposure anywhere in the country.
The EUR 40 entry fee for features is modest, and waived for Lithuanian and Ukrainian films. The cash prize for Best Film (EUR 9,000 in 2026) is split between director and producer, funded by Vilnius City Municipality.
The 2026 edition introduced a short film competition for the first time. Your film needs at least one European co-production country and must not have screened in Lithuania.
Industry Reputation Notes
Kino Pavasaris is the second-largest film festival in the Baltic region, after the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff). Where Tallinn operates as a larger industry hub with its own film market, Kino Pavasaris distinguishes itself through its integrated festival-distribution-exhibition model. The festival's distribution arm, Kino Pavasaris Distribution, acquires arthouse titles for theatrical release across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, including A24 titles. In 2025, 24 films started their distribution life cycle during the festival.
The Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV) industry event is smaller and more boutique than Tallinn's Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event, with approximately 250 accredited guests. MPV focuses on Baltic and Eastern European co-production, with Work in Progress sessions presenting projects in both development and production.
The festival's CEO Algirdas Ramaska has described the business model as unique: the festival takes over all cinemas in the country for one month, then distributes the films theatrically afterward. Winning the Best Film award can directly lead to Baltic distribution, which is unusual for a festival of this size.
Meeting Point Vilnius (Industry Event)
Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV) is the industry component of Kino Pavasaris, running for four days during the festival. MPV 2025 was held March 17-20. The event targets national and regional film professionals and connects them with European industry peers, with a focus on discovering young talent.
MPV program includes:
- Work in Progress - Development and Production pitching sessions
- Producers' presentations on co-production policies in different countries
- Location tour for international producers hosted by Vilnius Film Office
- One-on-one meetings and networking events
- Lithuanian Film Forum (separate registration)
Accreditation: Free for industry professionals. Industry + Films accreditation available at EUR 79.
Past MPV attendees have included programmers from Sundance, Venice, and Locarno. The 2025 edition featured project pitches from Georgia, Lithuania, and other Baltic and Eastern European countries.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For European first- and second-time feature directors: The International Competition is designed for your films. The EUR 40 entry fee is modest, and the cash prize for Best Film is split between director and producer. Your film must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania. The competition's 8-film selection means a relatively small, curated field.
For short filmmakers: 2026 marks the first year Kino Pavasaris accepts short films from outside Lithuania. Your film needs at least one European co-production country and must not have screened in Lithuania. The EUR 20 fee is waived for Lithuanian and Ukrainian films.
For Lithuanian filmmakers: Kino Pavasaris is the most important domestic platform. The Best Lithuanian Premiere award, the Lithuanian Shorts Marathon, and the Lithuanian Film Forum at MPV provide specific recognition and networking. The submission fee is waived for Lithuanian productions.
For industry professionals: MPV offers free accreditation and focuses on Baltic and Eastern European co-production. The Work in Progress sessions present projects in both development and production stages, useful for sales agents, distributors, and co-production partners looking for Baltic content.
Festival History
Kino Pavasaris was founded in 1995, shortly after Lithuania regained independence from the Soviet Union. The festival has grown from a small domestic event into the largest film festival in the Baltic states, attracting over 100,000 attendees annually. The 2025 edition marked the 30th anniversary and opened with Flow, the Latvian animated feature that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
The festival expanded beyond Vilnius to screen in 14 cities across Lithuania, making it a national cinema event. The Meeting Point Vilnius industry event was added to serve as a bridge between Baltic and European film professionals.
The festival is supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Vilnius, Klaipeda, and Kaunas city municipalities, with main partner Go3 and major partners ERGO and Simbiocity.
Practical Information
- 2026 dates: March 9-22, 2026
- Venues: Forum Cinemas Vingis and other cinemas across 14 Lithuanian cities
- Tickets: Available through the festival website and partner venues
- MPV accreditation: Free for industry professionals; apply through the Kino Pavasaris website
- Website: kinopavasaris.lt
Watch
See Also
For Baltic cinema and co-production, see International Film Markets. For the Tallinn Black Nights festival, see Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Use the Festival ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to Kino Pavasaris.
