Overview
AsterFest is the longest-running specialized short, documentary, and auteur film festival in North Macedonia. Founded in 2005 by Goran Trenchovski, the festival is held annually in August in Strumica, a city in southeastern North Macedonia near the Bulgarian and Greek borders. The 21st edition runs August 4 to 8, 2026, under the motto "With Open Eyes." The festival screens approximately 20 strictly selected films per edition, selected from over 1,000 films submitted from 60+ countries over its 20-year history.
AsterFest specializes in auteur cinema, focusing on short films, documentaries, and independent work that prioritizes artistic expression over commercial appeal. The festival is a project of the Association for Culture and Arts AsterFest Film Festival Strumica, a registered non-profit organization. It is supported by the Film Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Municipality of Strumica.
For filmmakers, AsterFest provides a platform for auteur short and documentary work in the Balkan region. The festival requires Macedonian premiere status for competition films, meaning films must not have been screened in Macedonia before AsterFest. Submissions are accepted via FilmFreeway. Macedonian-born filmmakers can submit for free. The festival's cross-border location near the triangle of North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Greece gives it a regional character that connects Balkan film communities.
Key Sections
- Global Fiction - international fiction short films in competition
- AsterDocs - documentary films in competition
- Animotion - animated films in competition
- Merry-Diones - a category for medium-length and experimental works
- Tributes - non-competitive programs honoring laureates and featuring special screenings, including student film showcases and feature-length films
- Tiveriopolian Film Events - year-round screenings, author events, workshops, and panel discussions in Strumica and other cities (including Belgrade), extending the festival's impact beyond the annual event
What Filmmakers Should Know
Submission Process and Fees
AsterFest accepts submissions via FilmFreeway. The submission process requires a completed entry form, online screener, short synopsis in English, film stills, poster, and trailer. A non-waivable submission fee applies. Macedonian-born filmmakers can submit for free.
Festival Context
Strumica is a city of approximately 35,000 people in southeastern North Macedonia, near the border triangle of North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Greece. Evening screenings are held at the Strumica Amphitheatre, an open-air venue in the City Park. The festival also includes a traditional film pilgrimage to the Veljusa Monastery, an 11th-century Byzantine monastery near Strumica.
Notable Laureates
AsterFest presents Aster Laureate awards to filmmakers who have made significant contributions to cinema. Past laureates include Milcho Manchevski (Academy Award nominee for Before the Rain), Rebecca O'Brien (British producer, Ken Loach's collaborator), Zelimir Zilnik (Serbian auteur), Laila Pakalnina (Latvian director), Kim Longinotto (British documentary filmmaker), and Jackie Shroff (Indian actor).
Festival History
AsterFest was founded in 2005 by Goran Trenchovski, who continues to serve as the festival's President. The festival was created as a platform for short and documentary film culture in North Macedonia, with an emphasis on auteur cinema and independent filmmaking. "AsterFest" and its logo are registered trademarks.
Over 20 editions, AsterFest has selected approximately 1,000 films from over 60 countries for its competitive categories. The festival has maintained its focus on short and documentary form throughout its history, even as other Balkan festivals have expanded into feature film competition.
The festival has expanded its activities beyond the annual August event through the Tiveriopolian Film Events, a year-round program of screenings, author events, workshops, and panel discussions held in Strumica and other cities, including Belgrade. This extension has deepened AsterFest's regional impact and strengthened its connections with film institutions across the Balkans and Europe.
AsterFest is financially supported by the Film Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Municipality of Strumica. It operates as a registered organization established for promotional, educational, and non-profit purposes.
Past Winners
AsterFest's competition awards are decided by a professional jury. The festival presents the Grand Prix, Golden, Silver, and Bronze Horseshoe awards, plus prizes for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
2025 (20th edition, "Film Crossroads"):
- Grand Prix: I Am Not a Robot (2023), directed by Victoria Warmerdam (Netherlands/Belgium). The 22-minute Dutch short film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2025, becoming the first Dutch short film to do so. The New Yorker distributed the film on its YouTube channel in November 2024.
- Golden Horseshoe: Choice (2025), directed by Marko Crnogorski (North Macedonia)
- Silver Horseshoe: Jus d'Orange (2023), directed by Alexandre Athane (France)
- Bronze Horseshoe: Ya Hanouni (2024), directed by Sofian Chouaib and Lyna Tadount
- Best Director (Aco Aleksov Award): Nadezhda Panov for Turbo-Net (2024)
- Best Screenplay (Gjorgi Abadziev Award): Lonely (2025), directed by Bobby Grubic (Croatia)
- Audience Award: A Bear Named Wojtek (2023), directed by Iain Gardner (UK). The 28-minute animated film was shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards Best Short Animation and won a British Animation Award.
2026 (21st edition, "With Open Eyes"):
- Grand Prix: Silent Cinema, directed by Krste Gospodinovski (North Macedonia)
- Golden Horseshoe: The Landscape of Human Essence, directed by Jana Hunterova
- Silver Horseshoe: Soul Bird, directed by Tobias Kampmann (Germany)
- Bronze Horseshoe: The Men's Land, directed by Mariam Bakacho Khatchvani (Georgia)
- Best Director: Elvira Barboza for Francine, East-West
- Best Screenplay: Branko Kosteski for Island (North Macedonia)
- Audience Award: The Girl Who Cried Pearls, directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada/NFB)
- Best Actress (Zora Georgieva Award): Sophie Thompson in Something Pointless
Notable Alumni Films
- *I Am Not a Robot* (2023) - Directed by Victoria Warmerdam. Won the Grand Prix at AsterFest 2025. The film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards in 2025. The New Yorker distributed the film on its YouTube channel, where it has received significant viewership. Premium Films handles international sales.
- *A Bear Named Wojtek* (2023) - Directed by Iain Gardner. Won the Audience Award at AsterFest 2025. The 28-minute animated film was shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards Best Short Animation, won a British Animation Award, and received an Annie Award nomination. Illuminated Films and Filmograf co-produced the film.
- *The Girl Who Cried Pearls - Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski. Won the Audience Award at AsterFest 2026. The film is an NFB (National Film Board of Canada) production by the same directors who received an Oscar nomination for The Danish Poet* (2006).
Submission Tips
- Submit short films (fiction, documentary, or animation) produced in 2025 or 2026. The festival requires films to be Macedonian premieres, meaning no prior screenings in North Macedonia.
- AsterFest prioritizes auteur cinema over commercial work. Submit films that prioritize artistic expression, formal experimentation, or personal vision over conventional narrative.
- Macedonian-born filmmakers can submit for free. This is a significant cost advantage for diaspora filmmakers.
- Films must have English subtitles for non-English entries. Provide an SRT file with English subtitles if selected.
- Submit through FilmFreeway. Include a short synopsis in English, film stills, a poster, and a trailer.
- The festival screens competition films 2 to 3 times in Strumica and other North Macedonia locations. Additional screenings require producer or author permission.
- The festival accepts approximately 20 films per edition from over 1,000 submissions across 60+ countries. The selection rate is highly competitive at roughly 2%.
- Documentary shorts with social, political, or cross-cultural themes align well with AsterFest's curatorial focus. The festival has honored filmmakers like Kim Longinotto and Zelimir Zilnik, who work in social documentary.
Industry Reputation Notes
AsterFest is the longest-running specialized short and auteur film festival in North Macedonia. The festival has built credibility over 21 editions by programming approximately 1,000 films from 60+ countries. However, it operates in a small market with limited industry infrastructure.
Compared to the Manaki Brothers Film Festival (Bitola, North Macedonia), which focuses on cinematography and attracts international DPs and camera manufacturers, AsterFest has a narrower industry footprint. Manaki Brothers draws more international industry attendees due to its cinematography focus and IMAGO partnership. AsterFest draws primarily regional filmmakers, Balkan film professionals, and auteur cinema enthusiasts.
Compared to Short Film Corner at Cannes or Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, AsterFest has much lower industry visibility. Clermont-Ferrand attracts over 3,000 industry professionals and operates a full market. AsterFest has no market component. However, AsterFest has programmed Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated shorts, including I Am Not a Robot (2025 Oscar winner) and A Bear Named Wojtek (2025 Oscar shortlist). This demonstrates that the festival's curatorial taste aligns with Academy recognition, even if it lacks the industry infrastructure of larger short film festivals.
The festival's location in Strumica, a city of 35,000 people near the Bulgarian and Greek borders, limits its ability to attract international distributors or sales agents. Filmmakers should approach AsterFest for its curated audience, regional networking, and Balkan film community connections rather than for industry deals.
See Also
For Balkan cinema and international film markets, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the return on festival submission spending, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For submissions, visit the AsterFest FilmFreeway page. For more information, see the AsterFest official website.
