CinEast - Central and Eastern European Film Festival Luxembourg

Overview

CinEast (Festival du Film d'Europe Centrale et Orientale) is Luxembourg's largest film festival. The 18th edition ran October 10-26, 2025, screening approximately 60 feature films and 50 short films from Central and Eastern Europe. The festival welcomed a record-breaking 11,500 participants across cinemas, special events, and its online platform. The 19th edition is scheduled for October 9-25, 2026.

The festival screens films from countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, the Baltic states, and the former Yugoslav republics. The 2025 edition opened with the Polish film Chopin, A Sonata and the opening ceremony at Kinepolis Kirchberg drew over 600 attendees, the largest screening ever organized by CinEast.

The Official Competition features 7 films vying for the Grand Prix, Special Jury Prize, and Critics' Prize. The 2025 international jury was presided by Bosnian director Danis Tanovic, an Academy Award winner. The festival also partners with the LUX Audience Award, hosting free screenings of the five nominated films in January and February.

CinEast operates a hybrid model. Part of the program is available online through the CinEast Online Cinema platform, extending access for approximately two weeks after the festival ends. In 2025, online films remained available through November 10.

Submission Details

CinEast accepts submissions exclusively through FilmFreeway. The 2025 submission deadline was June 30.

Eligibility:

• Films from Central and Eastern Europe (features and shorts)
• Categories: Feature films, short films (fiction, documentary, animation)
• The festival programs films from the region broadly defined, including post-communist countries, the Baltics, the Balkans, and the former Soviet republics

Submission platform: FilmFreeway only. No other submission method is accepted.

The 2026 submission deadline is expected to be late June 2026. Check the CinEast submissions page for updates.

Key Sections and Awards

Competitive sections:

• Official Competition - 7 feature films competing for the Grand Prix, Special Jury Prize, and Critics' Prize (selected by an international jury and a press jury)
• Short Film Audience Awards - audience-voted awards for fiction, animation, and documentary shorts

Non-competitive sections:

• Panorama - broader selection of Central and Eastern European features
• Country Focus - special programs dedicated to a single country each year
• Retrospectives - classic films from the region
• Special Events - concerts, exhibitions, and cultural events alongside screenings
• CinEast Online Cinema - selected films available online for approximately two weeks after the festival

2025 Award Winners:

• Grand Prix: Wind, Talk to Me directed by Stefan Djordjevic (jury president Danis Tanovic described it as "sincere, poetic, and dramatic")
• Special Jury Prize: God Will Not Help directed by Hana Jusic
• Critics' Prize: Little Trouble Girls directed by Urska Djukic
• Young Talents Award: DJ Ahmet directed by Georgi M. Unkovski
• Audience Award (Features): Fiume o morte! directed by Igor Bezinovic
• Audience Award (Short Fiction): Sujip directed by Gintare Parulyte
• Audience Award (Short Animation): Balconada directed by Iva Tokmakchieva
• Audience Award (Short Documentary): Confession directed by Rebeka Bizubova

2024 Award Winners:

• Grand Prix: Toxic directed by Saule Bliuvaite
• Special Jury Prize: Windless
• Critics' Prize: Toxic
• Young Talents Award: It's Not My Film
• Audience Award: Waves
• Audience Awards (Shorts): The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (fiction), Hello Summer (animation), Rising Above (documentary)

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Central and Eastern European filmmakers: CinEast is the only festival in Western Europe dedicated exclusively to your region. The 7-film Official Competition is curated, meaning selection carries meaningful recognition. The Grand Prix is decided by an international jury of recognized professionals. The festival's location in Luxembourg, one of Europe's wealthiest nations and a major diplomatic center, provides access to Western European audiences and industry contacts that are otherwise difficult to reach from Eastern European production bases.

For short filmmakers: CinEast actively programs short films alongside features. The festival gives separate audience awards for fiction, animation, and documentary shorts, meaning each format gets distinct recognition. Short films are also included in the online cinema platform, extending their reach beyond physical screenings.

For international industry professionals: The festival's 11,500 audience and its partnership with the LUX Audience Award give it a profile beyond Luxembourg's small domestic market. The press jury includes international critics. The 2025 jury included members from Bosnia, Georgia, Luxembourg, and Poland, reflecting the festival's cross-cultural positioning.

Festival History

CinEast was founded in 2008 and has operated continuously for 18 editions. The festival employs a small core team and relies on volunteer collaborators. The organization is a nonprofit based in Luxembourg.

The festival has grown from a small regional event into Luxembourg's largest film festival. The 2025 edition set an attendance record with 11,500 participants. The festival has expanded its venues over the years and now screens at Ciné Utopia, Neimenster, Kinepolis Kirchberg, and Ancien Cinema (Viandi), as well as other venues across Luxembourg.

The festival is a partner of the LUX Audience Award, hosting free screenings of the five nominated films in January and February. It also partners with UA Days (Ukraine Awareness Days) and contributes to programming beyond film screenings.

Practical Information

• 2026 dates: October 9-25, 2026
• Venues: Ciné Utopia, Neimenster, Kinepolis Kirchberg, Ancien Cinema (Viandi), and other venues across Luxembourg
• Online cinema: Selected films available online for approximately two weeks after the festival
• Passes: Festival passes and individual tickets available through the CinEast Eventive platform
• Submission deadline: Expected late June 2026 (via FilmFreeway)
• Website: cineast.lu

See Also

For Central and Eastern European cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to CinEast.