BRICS+ International Film Festival

BRICS+ International
Film Festival

Author-driven, national and cross-cultural cinema united on a single festival platform. Premieres, competitions, industry pitchings and special programs from BRICS+ countries.

Dates
17–27 May 2026
Host city
Saint Petersburg
Regulations and submission form can be found below on this page. Working languages of the festival: Russian and English.
BRICS+ 2026
Festival dates: 17–27 May
Location
Saint Petersburg
Film submission
Online form
60+
Films in the program
15+
Participating countries

News

🔥 Update
Film submissions will open soon
Starting from 1 December, films from BRICS+ countries and international co-productions may be submitted to competition and non-competition sections of the festival.
🎉 Recognition
Festival General Producer awarded the honorary status “BRICS Culture and Arts Ambassador”
The President of the international BRICS House network has recognized Viktoria Lukina’s contribution to public diplomacy and cultural cooperation within BRICS, awarding her the title “BRICS Culture and Arts Ambassador”.
🎞️ Events
Festival presented at the BRICS Public Diplomacy Leaders Forum
The festival is presented at the BRICS Public Diplomacy Leaders Forum as a platform for cultural dialogue and joint film projects between the countries of the association.

Jury

🇮🇳
Resul Pookutty
Sound designer, director, producer, actor
India
Academy Award winner for Best Sound Mixing for the film “Slumdog Millionaire”. In 2010 he received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.
🇷🇺
Nikolai Volkov
Cinematographer
Russia
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor, Head of the Cinematography Department at the Saint Petersburg State University of Film and Television.
🇷🇺
Ivan Bolotnikov
Film director, screenwriter, producer of fiction and documentary films
Russia
Laureate of Russian and international film festivals. Founder and head of the film company “Studio Avtor”.
🇨🇳
Gavin Lee
Film director
China

Has worked in the field of film festival organization and international agency relations for over 11 years.

Founder of MOVIEST Culture, a company engaged in the production of short and feature-length films.

🇿🇦
Thandi Davids
Film producer
South Africa

Selected works:

“Influence” (2020);

“Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star” (2022).

Regulations

Main structure of the regulations. The full official festival regulations will be approved and published later as a separate PDF document.

  • 1
    Feature-length and short films produced in BRICS+ countries, as well as co-productions with the participation of these countries, are eligible for submission.
  • 2
    The production year of the film will be specified in the official version of the regulations (for example, not earlier than 2023).
  • 3
    Main competition sections: fiction films, documentary films, short films. Special programs are held out of competition.
  • 4
    Working languages: Russian and English. The film must have subtitles in one of these languages.
The full regulations of the festival (including submission deadlines, technical requirements and selection procedures) will be published later as a separate document.
Submission period 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Submission format Online form + link to a film still
Selection results Official program announcement — Spring 2026

Grand Prix

Grand Prix statuette of the BRICS+ International Film Festival

Festival program

The screening schedule and events will be updated.

Day 1
17 May 2026 • Opening
Opening ceremony of the festival 19:00
Opening film premiere 20:00
Days 2–4
18–20 May • Competitions
Screenings of competition fiction films daytime
Panels and Q&A sessions with filmmakers evening
Days 5–7
21–23 May • Industry
Pitching sessions of BRICS+ projects 10:00–16:00
Networking and meetings 16:00–20:00
Days 8–10
24–26 May • Special programs
Focus program of BRICS+ countries daytime
Retrospectives and special screenings evening
Day 11
27 May • Closing
Awards ceremony 18:00
Closing film 20:00
Online
Parallel screenings
Digital showcase and online screenings as scheduled
The program is subject to change: exact time slots, venues and links for ticket purchase/registration will be added after the final approval of the schedule.

Submissions

Submissions for the BRICS+ International Film Festival will open on 1 December 2025.

To have a film considered for selection, the following is required:

  • complete the online form with information about the filmmaker and the film;
  • provide a valid link to a film still (or upload it to a chosen platform);
  • attach a synopsis and a short artistic biography;
  • confirm your consent to the festival regulations.

Important: submission of the form does not guarantee inclusion of the film in the program. The final decision is made by the festival’s selection committee.

By clicking “Submit”, you confirm your agreement with the festival regulations and personal data processing.

Festival team

Viktoria Lukina
Viktoria Lukina
General Producer
Member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia
Nina Kochelyaeva
Nina Kochelyaeva
Festival Program Director
Ivan Bolotnikov
Ivan Bolotnikov
Film Director and Producer
Yulia Pechagina
Yulia Pechagina
Executive Producer