🔥 Update
Film submissions are open
From 1 June 2026, films from BRICS+ countries and international co-productions
may be submitted to competition and non-competition sections of the festival.
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.
Regulations and submission form can be found below on this page. Working languages of the festival: Russian and English.
BRICS+ 2026
Festival dates: 14–19 October 2026
60+
Films in the program
15+
Participating countries
BRICS+ 2026
News
🎉 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.
International Jury
Festival Jury
The international jury brings together filmmakers, producers and cultural leaders from BRICS+ countries and partner states.
🇷🇺 RUSSIA
Alexandra Ochirova
Doctor of Philosophy, Public Figure
Doctor of Philosophy and Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Co-Chair of the General Council of the Assembly of the Peoples of the World. Co-President of the All-Russian Public Movement For the Preservation of the Nation.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Antonio Miano
Actor, Director, Curator
Brazilian actor and director working across cinema, theatre, and performance art. Director of short and documentary films. Curator of film programs and audience development initiatives.
🇧🇷 BRAZIL
Padu Palmério
Director, Cinematographer
Brazilian director and cinematographer working in both fiction and documentary cinema. Has filmed projects in more than 40 countries and collaborated on international productions across Latin America. Recipient and nominee of international cinematography awards, and an active jury member and mentor in international film laboratories.
🇨🇺 Cuba
Alejandro Gil Álvarez
Director, Screenwriter
Cuban film director and screenwriter, recipient of national cultural awards and international film festival honors. Author of documentary and fiction films, television projects, and music videos. Jury member of major film festivals across Latin America and Europe.
🇮🇷 Iran
Babak Khajehpasha
Director, Screenwriter
Iranian director and screenwriter, creator of feature films and theatre productions. His film In the Arms of the Tree was selected as Iran’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards. Recipient of international awards at film festivals in the United States, India, Italy, and Canada, including honors for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
🇮🇳 India
Jayita Ghosh
International Cultural Relations Expert
Indian expert in cinema, international communications, and cultural diplomacy. Leads international initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between creative industries, business communities, and public institutions. Actively promotes cultural exchange and international film collaboration.
🇧🇾 Belarus
Vladimir Zinkevich
Film Director, Screenwriter
Belarusian film director and screenwriter, founder of the production company Avantdrive. Director of the acclaimed films Spice Boys and Welcome to the Family. Recipient of the Best Feature Film Award at the New Season Online Cinema Festival.
🇷🇺 Russia
Ivan Bolotnikov
Film Director, Screenwriter, Producer
Russian director, screenwriter, and producer, founder of Studio Avtor. Director of the films Kharms, Palmira, and Don’t Bury Me Without Ivan. Recipient of two Golden Goblet Awards at the Shanghai International Film Festival. A graduate of the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors, he worked in Aleksei German’s creative team on the film Hard to Be a God.
🇷🇺 Russia
Nikolai Izvolov
Film Historian, Cinema Scholar
PhD in Art History and one of the leading experts on early Russian and Soviet cinema. Author of major research works and restoration projects dedicated to lost films by Dziga Vertov, Lev Kuleshov, and Alexander Medvedkin. Lecturer at VGIK and the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors.
Professionalism, independence and respect for cultural diversity are the guiding principles of the Festival Jury.
Official Conditions
Regulations
Main structure of the regulations. The full festival regulations are available as a PDF document.
-
1Feature-length, short, documentary and popular science films from BRICS+ countries, as well as international co-productions, are eligible for participation.
-
2Films completed on or after 1 January 2024 are eligible for participation
-
3English subtitles are mandatory. Films in languages other than Russian must include both Russian and English subtitles.
-
4Winners will receive the Grand Prix, Special Jury Awards and Special Festival Awards.
Submission period
1 June 2026 – 31 August 2026
Submission format
Online Application Form + Film Link and Supporting Materials
Selection results
Official program announcement — September 2026
Main Award
Grand Prix
The highest award of the BRICS+ International Film Festival.
The Grand Prix and Special Jury Awards are granted by the International Jury.
The festival Grand Prix statuette is a symbol of the movement of BRICS+ cultures orbiting around the art of cinema and creating the energy of new stories.
The flame within the orbits is a metaphor for the creator whose work becomes the center of global attention.
14–19 October 2026
Festival Program
The program may be updated as the official festival schedule is finalized.
Day 1
14 October 2026 • Opening
Opening ceremony of the festival
19:00
Opening film premiere
20:00
Days 2–3
15–16 October • Competition program
Screenings of competition films
daytime
Q&A sessions with filmmakers
evening
Day 4
17 October • Industry program
BRICS+ project pitching sessions
10:00–16:00
Networking events and meetings
16:00–20:00
Day 5
18 October • Special programs
Focus programs of BRICS+ countries
daytime
Retrospectives and special screenings
evening
Day 6
19 October • Closing
Awards ceremony
18:00
Closing film
20:00
Online
14–19 October • Parallel screenings
Digital showcase and online screenings
as scheduled
Film Submissions
Submissions
Submissions for participation in the BRICS+ International Film Festival are accepted until 31 August 2026.
To submit an application, please prepare:
- a link to the film hosted on a cloud storage service (Google Drive, Yandex Disk, Dropbox, etc.);
- materials about the film and its creators (stills, poster, synopsis, director's photo, biography and filmography);
- film information (running time, country of production, year of completion).
Important: links to YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms will not be considered
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.
Organizing Team
Festival Team
Viktoria Lukina
General Producer of the Festival
Film producer, journalist and public figure. Chair of the Council for Cinematography and New Media of the International BRICS Development Organization. Member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia.
Elena Avramova
Program Director of the Festival
Film director and producer. Expert in international film festival programming.
Elena Bondarenko
Director of Film Education Projects
President of the Association for Film Education and Media Pedagogy of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chair of the Commission on Film Pedagogy and Media Education, and Associate Professor at VGIK.
Yulia Pechagina
Executive Producer of the Festival
Producer of international cultural and film projects.
The BRICS+ International Film Festival team brings together professionals from the film industry, cultural diplomacy and international humanitarian cooperation.