Submissions for the 11th edition of Bucharest International Dance Film Festival are now open! Filmmakers, dance artists, animators, visual artists and digital art makers are invited to submit their works for the International Short Film Competition of the festival set to take place between September 11–14, 2025, under the theme “Keep Calm and Keep On Moving”. For the first time, BIDFF is also looking for VR experiences that use movement as their main language or the body as their main subject.

The 11th edition of BIDFF, “Keep Calm and Keep on Moving”, aims to create a space for dialogue by bringing to the forefront the affective and emotional crisis in which today’s society finds itself, and by trying to capture the spirit of resilience and reinvention, proving that even in times of uncertainty, movement remains a transformative force. Contemporary dance is created in the present time, with means of the present. It infuses other art forms with new meanings, it has a major potential to transform our relationship with the body and it enriches the way we communicate and express ourselves.

Over the four festival days, dancers, choreographers, visual artists, directors, virtual reality creators, theoreticians and producers are engaged in more than 20 events structured in five sections (Films, VR, Expand, Exchange, Community) characterised by diversity, multiplicity and openness.

Bucharest International Dance Film Festival is a platform for exquisite films that use movement as their primary language or the body as their main subject. Faced with the camera lenses, the body becomes the primary focus of cutting-edge arthouse films that challenge the audience to a lively exchange of stances on challenging politics, extreme emotions, concealed interpretations, and oddly beautiful aesthetics.

BIDFF encourages syncretism and dialogue between movement and diverse forms of cinema, from the more traditional ones to experimental or futuristic hybrid works. Besides film screenings, BIDFF organizes a VR showcase, lectures, public presentations, and intensive short film workshops. Each year in September, the festival takes place in multiple locations from Bucharest, Romania.

HOW TO APPLY

• The call opens on May 12. The deadlines for submissions are June 22 (regular) and July 12 (late).

• Each director can submit a maximum of two films in the competition.

• The films must be submitted throughFilmFreeway. Before submitting, please check all the fees related to your category and deadline.

All applicants will be informed about the outcome of their submission by August 1, 2025.

RULES & TERMS

The competitional section is dedicated to short films only. The board will take into consideration fiction, documentary and animation films that either use movement to explore an idea or speak about issues related to the body and the world of dance and performance. We also highly encourage you to apply if you have a short film that explores the future of art, questioning issues related to the ethics of collaboration, communication, and co-existence. For the first time, BIDFF is also looking for VR experiences that use movement as their main language or the body as their main subject.

we are looking for:

• Short dance films produced in the last two years that do not exceed 20 minutes in length and havea minimum quality of Full HD (1080p), that can be either live action or animation in genres of fiction, documentary or experimental.

we are not looking for:

• Music videos, trailers or recordings of performances, films already submitted to previous editions of BIDFF, one-minute films, commercials.

WE offer:

• Money awards for Best International Film (1000 Euros) and Jury Prize (500 Euros).

• Free entry to all the events of the festival, excluding workshops that require a previous application.