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Crime Drama The Bog by Reinis Kalviņš World Premieres at Warsaw IFF
WARSAW: The Bog / Klajumā aiz meža by Latvian director Reinis Kalviņš had its world premiere at the Warsaw International Film Festival on 10 October 2026 in the 1–2 Competition. The film is a coproduction between Mistrus Media (Latvia), Juna Film (Germany) and Meteoriit (Estonia). Set in a small Lat
Successful Second Edition for Romanian Creative Week in Bucharest
BUCHAREST: Romanian Creative Week (RCW X Bucharest), the largest creative industries event in the European Union, wrapped with the Romanian Fashion Week and a record number of designers. Cinema was among the highlights of the Romanian Creative Week, which was held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
FNE Interview With Edith Sepp - Head of Estonian Film Institute
FNE spoke to the head of the Estonian Film Institute following the recent MEDICI training programme in Tallinn for the heads of film funding bodies and why being a small country does not mean that a country should have a small voice in European film policy making. What is the MEDICI training program
GRANTS: Hungary Announces TV Grants
BUDAPEST: Seven TV projects received 338,000 EUR / 124 m HUF as production support from the National Film Institute – Hungary (NFI). The projects include two long animated films and five long documentaries. Click HERE to see the grants chart.
Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2027 Opens Call for Submissions
NICOSIA: The 25th Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2027 invites filmmakers from Cyprus and around the world to submit their feature films for consideration in the Festival’s Competition sections. The festival will take place from 16 to 24 April 2027, and the deadline for submissions is 30 November 2026.
BOX OFFICE: Morten Successful in Estonian Charts
TALLINN: Released in cinemas on 11 September 2026, the new Estonian coming-of-age drama Morten, written and directed by Ivan Pavljutškov, has shown strong legs at the domestic box office. Over the course of its first three weeks in Estonian cinemas, the film has amassed 33,044 admissions and grossed 211,298 EUR.
FNE at Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož 2026: The Lost Son
PORTOROŽ: Darko Štante’s The Lost Son / Izgubljeni sin is screening in the competition of the 29th Festival of Slovenian Film Portoroz, which is running 13 - 18 October 2026 in Portorož. This sophomore feature from one of the voices of the young generation of Slovenian directors and screenwriters is a coproduction between Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Italy.
FNE at Gdynia FF 2026: Interview Beata Migas Jury Member in Film for Climate
FNE spoke to Beata Migas, Polish director, producer, screenwriter and CEO of Haddock Entertainment, talks about the importance of green filming and her own film projects. Beata was a member of the jury for the Film for Climate category at the 51st edition of the Gdynia Film Festival. She shares her
PRODUCTION: Stephan Komandarev Prepares to Shoot The Block Universe
SOFIA: The acclaimed Bulgarian director Stephan Komandarev is currently in final preproduction with his eighth feature film, The Block Universe, which is a coproduction between Bulgaria, Germany and Luxembourg. Heretic has already boarded as sales agent. This social sci-fi drama follows five stories
PÖFF Announces Official and First Feature Competition Lineups for Anniversary 30th Edition
TALLINN: Films by Estonian director Janno Jürgens and Hungarian director Attila Hartung have been selected for the Official Competition of the 30th anniversary edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The festival also unveiled the First Feature Competition lineup. Twelve world prem
Budapest International Film Festival 2026 Announces Lineup
BUDAPEST: The third edition of Budapest International Film Festival (BIFF) will present 45 films over the course of nine days (24 October - 1 November 2026) mainly at the Corvin Cinema. This year’s selection for the Bloom competition section explores the concept of community through the works of eme
FNE Oscar Watch 2027: Films from FNE Partner Countries Selected as Oscar Candidates
The following films from the FNE partner countries have been selected as official candidates for the 99th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards in the Best International Feature Film category. This year, for the first time ever, Cyprus submitted a candidate. Following a new rule by the
FilmFestival Cottbus 2026 to Focus on Latvian and Montenegrin Contemporary Cinema
COTTBUS: Fourteen Latvian films and a Montenegrin programme comprising three feature films and five short films will screen at the 36th FilmFestival Cottbus (3 – 8 November 2026) in the programmes Close-Up: Latvia and View from the Black Mountain: Montenegro Special. Following Estonia in 2025, FilmF
Q and A with Hynek Dedecius, Artistic Director of CinÉast Film Festival Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG: FNE spoke with Hynek Dedecius, the Artistic Director of CinEast Film Festival Luxembourg, about the highlights of the 19th edition set for 9 – 25 October 2026, how the festival evolved, and what are the new trends of CEE cinema. Hynek Dedecius is a Czech film festival organiser and trans
Festival of Slovenian Film Portoroz 2026 Announces Lineup
LJUBLJANA: A total of 126 films have been selected for the 29th Festival of Slovenian Film Portoroz, which will run 13- 18 October 2026 in Portorož. Seven feature films and eight long documentaries will compete for the Vesna awards alongside 14 coproductions (nine feature films, four long documentary films and one docu fiction).
PRODUCTION: Pavol Barabáš Finishes His Documentary I Touched the Stone Age
BRATISLAVA: Established Slovak documentary film director Pavol Barabáš is putting the finishing touches on his new documentary I Touched the Stone Age / Dotkolsomsa Doby kamennej, which he shot in Papua New Guinea. The film will take its viewers to the hardly accessible old forests in Papua New Guin
BOX OFFICE: Kengur Is Coming Back Home Successful at Serbian Box Office
BELGRADE: Kengur Is Coming Back Home / Kengur se vraća kući written and directed by Miroslav Momčilović went straight to the second place in the charts, second to Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast admission-wise over the course of its first week in Serbian cinemas. Up to this point it has amassed 13,877 admissions, grossing 75,569 EUR / 8,874,033 RSD.
International Short Film Festival of Cyprus 2026 Ready to Kick Off
LIMASSOL: The 16th edition of International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) will screen 33 titles in the International Competition and 13 titles in its National Competition from 10 to 16 October 2026 at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol. The films in the National Competition are fiction films and
Budapest Debuts Europe’s Largest 3D-Capable Cinema LED Screen
BUDAPEST: The Lurdy Cinema in Budapest has reopened its Room 10 with a 62-square-meter screen featuring Samsung Onyx 4K LED technology. This is the biggest Onyx screen in Europe to date. The technology is arriving in Hungary on time as the country didn’t match the pre-pandemic 15 – 16 m admissions y
Romanian Creative Week Underway in Bucharest
BUCHAREST: Romanian Creative Week (RCW X Bucharest), the largest creative industries event in the European Union, returns for its autumn edition from 2 to 8 October 2026. Held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, the programme spans cinema, contemporary art, dance, fashion, and cultural policy across key venues in Bucharest.
PRODUCTION: Argyro Nicolaou’s Unsettled (My Sea) Enters Final Production Stages
NICOSIA: Unsettled (My Sea), an upcoming long documentary directed by Argyro Nicolaou, is currently in its final stages of production. The Cypriot project is wrapping its multi-year production timeline ahead of entering postproduction in early 2027. Having spent years trying to visualise her mother’
FNE Oscar Watch 2027: Slovenia Selects Fantasy as Oscar Contender
LJUBLJANA: Kukla’s debut feature Fantasy has been selected as Slovenia’s official candidate for the 99th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a coproduction between Slovenia and North Macedonia. Fantasy follows the journey of
FNE Oscar Watch 2027: Bosnia and Herzegovina Selects The Widower as Oscar Contender
SARAJEVO: The Widower / Udovac, the first feature film by Bosnian director Hari Šečić has been selected as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s official candidate for the 99th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Starring veteran actor Izudin Bajrov
New Casting Platform in Estonia
TALLINN: Estonian startup IRIS Casting Ecosystem has received a 150,000 EUR grant from Enterprise Estonia to develop its automated a digital casting platform that will bring directors, producers, casting directors, actors, and agents under one roof. Founder Ronja Kissa, who has worked in casting for
Chaos and Paralysis at the Polish Film Institute. Polish Filmmakers Association Directs a Letter to the Minister of Culture
WARSAW: The two years of Kamila Dorbach's tenure, first as acting director and then as director of the Polish Film Institute, have been a time of increasing procedural chaos, lack of transparency and decisions that are difficult to understand – writes President Grzegorz Łoszewski on behalf of the Main Board of the Polish Filmmakers Association in an open letter to the Ministry of Culture, Marta Cienkowska.
Winners of 9th European Work in Progress (EWIP)
HAMBURG: The 9th edition of European Work in Progress (EWIP) awarded 10 outstanding film projects during a ceremony held on 29 September 2026. In cooperation with FilmFest Hamburg and MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, EWIP for the second time took place as part of FilmFest Hamburg Industry Days.
BIAFF International Art-House Film Festival 2026 in Batumi Reveals Its Winners
BATUMI: The 20th Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) announced its winners at a closing ceremony held at the Batumi Drama Theatre, bringing its anniversary edition to a close. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the film industry and invited guests. The anniversary editi
PRODUCTION: Ana Opačić Wraps Shooting Third Shift
SKOPJE: Macedonian director Ana Opačić has entered postproduction with her debut feature film Third Shift / Tretasmena, which is a coproduction between North Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Poland. Penned and directed by Opačić, with Slobodan Trajkoski as co-writer, the film follows Milan, an ag
FNE Oscar Watch 2027: Malta selects Żejtune as Oscar Contender
VALLETTA: Alex Camilleri’s Żejtune has been selected as Malta’s official candidate for the 99th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The film was chosen by the Malta Academy Selection Committee (MASC), an independent jury of Maltese prof
European Film Fund Leaders Gather in Estonia for MEDICI Training Programme
TALLINN: The Estonian village of Laulasmaa is hosting, from 30 September to 3 October 2026, the 15th international MEDICI training programme, bringing together leaders of European film funds and other key decision-makers in film financing. The Estonian Film Institute is MEDICI’s local partner for this year’s edition.
PRODUCTION: Tena Perišin and Janet Harris Shoot Croatian Documentary From the Ashes of Lipik
LIPIK/DARUVAR: Tena Perišin and Janet Harris are currently filming From the Ashes of Lipik / Iz pepela Lipik, a Croatian documentary set for completion in 2027. The discovery of forgotten wartime footage brings a television journalist back to Lipik, more than 30 years after she covered the destructi
PRODUCTION: Katrin Ruus Shoots Estonian Feature A Midnight Pilgrimage
TALLINN: Estonian director/writer Katrin Ruus is currently filming her debut feature A Midnight Pilgrimage / Öised rännakud, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2027. Mikk, a freelance journalist in his late 40s, once a rebel and a scandal writer, now suffers anguish over the death of his son
Cinemas Invited to Join European Arthouse Cinema Day on 22 November 2026
BERLIN: Cinemas worldwide are invited to register for the 11th European Arthouse Cinema Day, which will take place on 22 November 2026, organised by CICAE. The initiative brings together hundreds of cinemas across the world, for a shared celebration of European filmmaking and independent cinemas as crucial spaces for open cultural exchange.
Winners of Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival 2026
BUCHAREST: For the first time in the history of the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (BIEFF), two films shared the award for best feature film at the 16th edition of the festival, held 25 – 30 September 2026. Also for the first time, the festival gave an award for best sound concep
FNE PODCAST: Maria-Christine Rieder, Programme Co-Director of Business and Legal Affairs (International Screen Institute)
VIENNA: FNE spoke to Maria-Christine Rieder, programme co-director of Business and Legal Affairs at the International Screen Institute, about the complex intersection of law, finance, and content production, navigating the legal challenges of emerging digital technologies like AI, and how a holistic understanding of legal workflows across a project’s entire lifecycle empowers screen professionals to transform from reactive problem-solvers into strategic industry architects. This podcast is sponsored by the International Screen Institute.
Filming Completed on Gana Čomagić’s Short Film Sote
PODGORICA: Shooting of the Montenegrin short fiction film Sote, directed and written by Gana Čomagić and produced by Evil Ideas, has been successfully completed. The film is a thriller-drama with elements of horror, inspired by true events. In a village where everyone looks out for their own interes
FNE at Gdynia 2026: Through the Wall Wins Golden Lion for Best Film - FilmNewEurope.com
GDYNIA: Through the Wall by Maciej Sobieszczański won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 51st Polish Film Festival (PFF) in Gdynia, which closed on 26 September 2026 at the Musical Theatre in Gdynia. The Silver Lion went to Tell Me What You Feel directed by Łukasz Ronduda. The festival also honour
The Dreamed Adventure Wins Golden Rose National Film Festival 2026
VARNA: The Dreamed Adventure by Valeska Grisebach won the Best Film award at the 44th Golden Rose National Film Festival, which was held in Varna 17 – 24 September 2026. Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov won Best Director for Black Money for White Nights. A total of 16 feature films, 29 short fic
Fatherland Wins 2026 ICFF Manaki Brothers
BITOLA: Łukasz Żal, the cinematographer of Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, received the Golden Camera 300 at the 47th edition of the International Cinematographers’ Film Festival Manaki Brothers. The festival took place from 19 to 25 September 2026 in Bitola, North Macedonia. The Silver Camera 300 w
PRODUCTION: Bogdan Mirică Shoots Magnum Opus
BUCHAREST: Romanian director Bogdan Mirică has started shooting his third feature film, Magnum Opus (working title), right after showcasing it at the Venice’s Gap – Financing Market (4 – 6 September 2026). The film is a coproduction between Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, and the Republic of Moldova.
Animest 2026 Introduces Video Games Developed in Romania Pilot Section
BUCHAREST: The 21st edition of the Animest International Animation Film Festival brings over 320 animated productions to the Romanian public from 2 to 11 October 2026 in Bucharest. This year, the festival introduces a brand-new section, Playground, a non-competitive pilot selection of video games de
YOUNG GALA | WINNERS OF THE 51ST PFF
The verdict of the Short Film Competition Jury at the 51st Polish Film Festival in Gdynia has now been announced. The winners of this year’s special awards were also announced during the Young Gala on Friday, 25th September 2026. The Short Film Competition Jury, comprising: Ewa Braun – ChairpersonJo