Overview
The Vilnius International Film Festival (Kino Pavasaris, meaning "Cinema Spring") is the largest film festival in Lithuania and the Baltic states. Founded in 1995, the festival runs for two weeks each March in Vilnius, with additional screenings in Kaunas, Siauliai, Panevezys, and other Lithuanian cities. The 30th edition in 2025 (March 7 to 23) attracted a record 130,000 attendees across 17 days and screened over 200 films. The 31st edition is scheduled for March 9 to 22, 2026.
The festival's International Competition is limited to first or second feature-length films by European directors that have not yet been publicly screened in Lithuania. Eligible genres include fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental. The Short Film Competition, introduced for the first time at the 31st edition in 2026, is open to short films globally that have at least one European country in co-production and have not been publicly screened in Lithuania.
For filmmakers, Kino Pavasaris offers exposure to Baltic audiences and the Lithuanian film market. The festival's industry platform, Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV), runs March 17 to 20 during the festival and includes a Work in Progress pitching session for Lithuanian and co-produced projects. The festival also participates in the SMART7 network, a collaboration between seven European film festivals that programs one film from each participating country.
Key Sections
- International Competition - first or second European features (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental) competing for the Best Film award
- Short Film Competition - short films with at least one European co-production country, competing for a cash prize from Vilnius City Municipality
- Panorama - international films outside competition
- Lithuanian Films - new Lithuanian cinema, including the Best Lithuanian Premiere award
- SMART7 - a traveling program of seven European festival selections, one from each participating country
- Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV) - industry platform with Work in Progress pitching for Lithuanian and co-produced projects
Submission Details
Submissions are made through the festival's online form at kinopavasaris.lt/en/film-submissions. The festival does not use FilmFreeway. Filmmakers must register, read the Terms and Conditions, fill out the online submission form, and send an online screener to submissions@kinopavasaris.lt.
Entry Fees:
- Short films: EUR 20
- Feature films: EUR 40
- Fees are waived for Lithuanian and Ukrainian films and co-productions
Eligibility for International Competition:
- First or second feature-length films by European directors
- Films must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania
- Eligible genres: fiction, documentary, animation, or experimental
Eligibility for Short Film Competition:
- 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 are personally notified by December 19, 2025 (for the 2026 edition). If a film does not meet competition requirements, it may still be selected for other festival programs.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Audience reach: The 2025 edition attracted nearly 130,000 attendees, a record for the festival. The festival screens across multiple Lithuanian cities, giving selected films exposure beyond Vilnius.
Competition focus: The International Competition is specifically for first or second features by European directors. This makes Kino Pavasaris a strong platform for emerging European filmmakers seeking competitive recognition at a major Baltic festival. The 2025 Best Film award went to April (dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia/France/Italy), which came with an EUR 8,000 cash prize funded by Vilnius City Municipality.
Industry platform: Meeting Point Vilnius (MPV) is the festival's industry segment, featuring Work in Progress pitching sessions for projects from Lithuania or co-produced with Lithuania. Projects must be in development or production and scheduled for completion between 2025 and early 2026. Up to 10 projects are selected for each category (Development and Production). Selected project representatives must attend onsite to pitch. MPV also awards prizes to participating projects.
SMART7 network: The festival is part of the SMART7 network, a collaboration between seven European film festivals supported by Creative Europe MEDIA. Each festival contributes one film to a traveling program that screens across all seven countries, with a jury selecting the best film at the end of the tour.
Fee waivers: Lithuanian and Ukrainian films and co-productions are exempt from submission fees. This reflects the festival's commitment to supporting domestic and Ukrainian filmmaking communities.
No FilmFreeway: Unlike most major festivals, Kino Pavasaris does not use FilmFreeway. Submissions are handled through the festival's own online form and email. Filmmakers should plan accordingly and allow time for the manual submission process.
Major Awards
- Best Film (International Competition) - cash prize of EUR 8,000 funded by Vilnius City Municipality, awarded to the director and producer
- Special Mention (International Competition) - jury commendation
- Best Short Film - cash prize awarded by the international jury, established by Vilnius City Municipality
- Best Lithuanian Short Film - for Lithuanian short films
- Best Lithuanian Premiere - for the best Lithuanian film premiere at the festival
- Audience Award - voted by festival audiences across all feature films
- Young Filmmaker Award - established by the Vida Ramaskiene Foundation, for an emerging Lithuanian filmmaker
Festival History
Kino Pavasaris was founded in 1995 by Vida Ramaskiene, four years after Lithuania regained independence from the Soviet Union. The festival was created as part of the cultural reopening that followed decades of Soviet cultural policy, which had restricted access to Western cinema. The festival's name, "Cinema Spring," reflects its founding purpose: bringing new cinema to Lithuanian audiences after the cultural winter of the Soviet era.
The festival has been directed by Algirdas Ramaska since its early years and has grown from a small local event into the largest film festival in the Baltic states. The 30th edition in 2025 marked a milestone with record attendance of nearly 130,000. The festival has expanded beyond Vilnius to screen in multiple Lithuanian cities including Kaunas, Siauliai, and Panevezys.
The festival is supported by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, Vilnius City Municipality, Creative Europe MEDIA, and partners including ERGO and Telia Play. The SMART7 network, which Kino Pavasaris joined, connects the festival with six other European festivals for a traveling film program.
Past Winners
The International Competition awards the Best Film prize of EUR 8,000, funded by Vilnius City Municipality. The competition is limited to first or second European features, making it a discovery platform for emerging directors.
Recent winners:
- 2025 Best Film - April (dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia/France/Italy), premiered at Venice 2024. The jury praised its "great vision that balances surreal poetry with a provocative portrait of our contemporary world." Special Mention: The New Year That Never Came (dir. Bogdan Mureșanu, Romania/Serbia).
- 2025 Audience Award - The Seed of the Sacred Fig (dir. Mohammad Rasoulof, Germany/Iran/France), a Palme d'Or contender at Cannes 2024.
- 2025 Best Lithuanian Premiere - On Sacred and Profane (dir. Giedrė Beinoriūtė), a documentary about a village preserving ancient Easter traditions.
- 2025 Best Short Film - O (dir. Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland), described by the jury as "an achievement of classical cinematic language."
- 2024 Best Film - In the Rearview (dir. Maciek Hamela, Poland/Ukraine/France), a documentary about evacuating civilians from war-torn Ukraine.
- 2023 Best Film - La Palisiada (dir. Philip Sotnychenko, Ukraine), a Ukrainian crime drama.
- 2018 Best Film - Winter Brothers (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, Denmark/Iceland), which the jury said "heralds a new voice in arthouse cinema."
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Kino Pavasaris has a unique festival-to-distribution pipeline through Kino Pavasaris Distribution, which acquires around 30 titles per year. About 24 films start their commercial life cycle during the festival before moving to theatrical release across the Baltics.
- *Flow (dir. Gints Zilbalodis, 2024)* - Opened Kino Pavasaris 2025 as the first Baltic film to win an Academy Award and Golden Globe. The Latvian animation screened in competition at the festival before its wider Baltic theatrical run. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
- Toxic (Akiplėša) (dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė, 2024) - The Lithuanian debut won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2024 and was nominated for the European Film Awards. It had its national premiere at Kino Pavasaris 2025 in competition, then continued to Lithuanian cinemas through Kino Pavasaris Distribution.
- *In the Rearview (dir. Maciek Hamela, 2024)* - Won Best Film at Kino Pavasaris 2024. The Polish/Ukrainian/French co-production documented civilian evacuations from Ukraine and traveled the international festival circuit.
- *Winter Brothers (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, 2018)* - Won the inaugural European Debut Competition at Kino Pavasaris. Lead actor Elliott Crosset Hove also won Best Actor. The film went on to win multiple European festival awards.
The festival's distribution arm partners with boutique PASAKA cinemas in Vilnius, creating a year-round arthouse ecosystem. Films that perform well at the festival often secure Baltic distribution through this channel.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The International Competition is exclusively for first or second European features. If your film is a debut or sophomore effort from a European director, this is one of the best competitive platforms in the Baltic region. The festival values "bold visual language" and films that "bravely reflect on complex social issues," according to competition curator Dovilė Grigaliūnaitė.
The festival does not use FilmFreeway. Submit through the festival's online form at kinopavasaris.lt and send a screener to submissions@kinopavasaris.lt. Allow extra time for this manual process compared to one-click platforms.
Lithuanian and Ukrainian films receive fee waivers. This reflects the festival's commitment to supporting domestic and Ukrainian filmmaking communities. If your film is a co-production with Lithuania or Ukraine, you may also qualify.
The Short Film Competition (introduced in 2026) requires at least one European co-production country. Films must not have been publicly screened in Lithuania. The EUR 3,000 prize for Best Short Film is funded by Vilnius City Municipality.
The SMART7 network offers additional exposure. If your film is selected for the SMART7 program, it screens at seven European festivals across different countries, with a jury selecting the best film at the end of the tour.
Industry Reputation Notes
Kino Pavasaris is the largest film festival in the Baltic states by attendance, with 130,000 attendees in 2025. Compared to Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), which attracts approximately 80,000 attendees, Kino Pavasaris has a larger audience base but a narrower competition scope focused on emerging European directors.
Unlike PÖFF, which includes an industry market and A-list festival status, Kino Pavasaris positions itself as a audience-facing festival with a discovery focus. Its competition for first and second features makes it comparable to Karlovy Vary's Proxima competition, but with a specifically European focus.
The festival's distribution arm sets it apart from peer festivals. While most festivals end when the screenings close, Kino Pavasaris Distribution acquires approximately 30 titles annually and releases them across Baltic cinemas. This creates a direct pathway from festival selection to regional distribution that few European festivals can offer.
Industry professionals value Kino Pavasaris for its Baltic audience reach and its support for Ukrainian cinema. The festival's fee waiver for Ukrainian films and its programming of Ukrainian content has strengthened its reputation as a supporter of Eastern European filmmaking under political pressure.
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See Also
For understanding Baltic cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate whether festival submission fees are worth it for your budget, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.
