1. General Information

1.1. ART FILM FEST s.r.o., with its registered office at Kukučínova 81/2, 040 01 Košice – City District Juh, Company ID (IČO): 48 284 254, registered in the Commercial Register of the Municipal Court Košice, Section Sro, File No. 58934/V (hereinafter also referred to as the “Main Organizer”), is the organizer of the International Film Festival ART FILM (hereinafter referred to as “IFF ART FILM”).

1.2. The 32nd edition of IFF ART FILM (hereinafter referred to as the “Festival”) will take place from 19 to 26 June 2026 in Košice, Slovakia. The Festival programme offers a broad and diverse platform for the presentation of films representing the latest trends in world cinema, significant works from film history, and, last but not least, a comprehensive overview of contemporary Slovak audiovisual production.

1.3. The Festival programme is built around four main competitive sections:

a) International Feature Film Competition – open to directors who have completed their first, second, or third feature-length fiction film under professional production conditions;

b) International Short Film Competition – dedicated to short films of all genres;

c) International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe (a Festival-selected list of former Eastern Bloc countries) – open to directors who have completed a feature-length fiction, documentary, or animated film produced in eligible countries: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia.

d) International Competition for the FIPRESCI Award – open to films selected by the organizer from the competitive sections and Slovak premieres of the 32nd IFF ART FILM for evaluation by the international FIPRESCI jury.

1.4. The Main Organizer of the Festival is the Slovak legal entity:

ART FILM FEST s.r.o., Kukučínova 81/2, 040 01 Košice – City District Juh, Slovak Republic; Company ID (IČO): 48 284 254, Registered in the Commercial Register of the Municipal Court Košice, Section Sro, File No. 58934/V.

2. Competitive Sections and Statutory Awards

2.1. International Feature Film Competition

This competition applies to:

  • feature-length fiction films that are the director’s first, second, or third feature film,
  • films produced after 1 January 2025,
  • films available in DCP 2D format,
  • films with a running time of over 60 minutes,
  • films with English subtitles.

2.1.1. Jury and Awards

The winners of the statutory “Blue Angel” awards are selected by a three-member international jury of the International Feature Film Competition, appointed by the Main Organizer.

The jury decides by a majority vote of the members present and voting. The results are announced at the Festival Closing Ceremony.

The jury awards four statutory prizes:

  • Blue Angel for Best Film (awarded to the film’s producer as a natural person), accompanied by a financial prize of EUR 2,000;
  • Blue Angel for Best Director;
  • Blue Angel for Best Actress;
  • Blue Angel for Best Actor.

The jury may also grant non-statutory awards, known as Special Mentions, to additional films in the competition.

Persons associated with competing films may not serve on the jury nor be present during jury deliberations.

2.2. International Short Film Competition

This competition applies to:

  • films with a running time of up to 30 minutes,
  • fiction, documentary, experimental, or animated short films,
  • professional or student productions,
  • films produced after 1 January 2025,
  • films available in DCP 2D format,
  • films with English subtitles.

2.2.1. Jury and Awards

The Blue Angel for Best Short Film is awarded by a three-member international jury, appointed by the Main Organizer.

The jury decides by majority vote and announces the results at the Festival Closing Ceremony.

The jury awards one statutory prize:

  • Blue Angel for Best Short Film (awarded to the director as a natural person), accompanied by a financial prize of EUR 500.

The jury may also award Special Mentions.

Persons associated with competing films may not serve on the jury nor participate in deliberations.

2.3. International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe

This competition applies to:

  • films with a running time of over 60 minutes,
  • fiction, documentary, experimental, or animated films,
  • films produced after 1 January 2025,
  • films available in DCP 2D format,
  • films with English subtitles,
  • co-productions, provided that the production share belongs to an eligible country.

Eligible countries: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia

2.3.1. Jury and Awards

The Blue Angel for Best Film from Central and Eastern Europe is awarded by a three-member international jury, appointed by the Main Organizer.

The jury awards one statutory prize:

  • Blue Angel for Best Film (awarded to the director as a natural person), accompanied by a financial prize of EUR 1,500.

Special Mentions may also be awarded.

Persons associated with competing films may not serve on the jury nor participate in deliberations.

2.4. International Competition for the FIPRESCI Award

This competition applies to:

  • films with a running time of over 60 minutes,
  • fiction, documentary, experimental, or animated films,
  • films produced after 1 January 2025,
  • films available in DCP 2D format,
  • films with English subtitles.

2.4.1. Jury and Awards

The FIPRESCI Award is decided by a three-member international jury, appointed by the Main Organizer in cooperation with the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).

The jury awards one statutory prize:

  • Blue Angel – FIPRESCI Award (awarded to the director as a natural person).

Special Mentions may also be granted.

3. Film Submission

Film submissions for IFF ART FILM 2026 will be open from 10 January 2026 until the deadline specified in Article 10 of these Statutes. Films may be submitted to the competitive sections via the official submission form. Submission fees apply in accordance with the valid price list.

4. Film Selection

The Main Organizer reserves the right to curate the three competitive sections at its own discretion.

5. Promotion of Selected Films

The Main Organizer reserves the right to use excerpts from submitted films for Festival promotion as follows:

  • feature-length fiction, documentary, and animated films – up to 3 minutes,
  • short films – up to 30 seconds.

If an official trailer is not delivered on time, the Main Organizer may create promotional excerpts from available materials.

Film excerpts and trailers may be screened at Festival venues, broadcast on partner television channels, and published on the Festival website.

For artistic reasons, the Main Organizer may use excerpts of submitted films in the Festival trailer, up to 10 seconds.

Official film stills may also be used for promotional purposes and provided to the media.

6. Guests

Invitations are issued at the discretion of the Main Organizer, with priority given to creators of competing films. The Festival covers accommodation and travel costs within limits agreed individually, subject to the Festival budget.

7. Refund Policy for Submission Fees

If a submitted film does not meet the eligibility requirements set out in these Statutes, the submission fee will not be refunded. It is the submitter’s responsibility to ensure full compliance with all rules and submission guidelines.

8. Financial Awards and Income Tax

8.1. Any financial award represents a prize before taxation.

8.2. A financial award granted in a public competition constitutes other taxable income pursuant to Section 8(1)(j) of Act No. 595/2003 Coll. on Income Tax, as amended, with the exception of prizes not exceeding EUR 350, which are exempt from income tax pursuant to Section 9(2)(m), point 2 of the Income Tax Act.

8.3. In accordance with Section 43(3)(d) of the Income Tax Act, the Main Organizer shall withhold income tax at source at a rate of 19% of the monetary prize (financial award) at the time of payment. If the prize is paid, transferred, or credited to a taxpayer resident in a non-treaty country pursuant to Section 2(x) of the Income Tax Act, a tax rate of 35% shall apply. The Organizer shall not be responsible for fulfilling any tax obligations arising for a tax non-resident or a taxpayer with limited tax liability under the laws of the country in which the recipient is a tax resident.

9. Consent to the Processing of Personal Data

9.1. Personal data are processed in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (the “GDPR”), and Section 13 of Act No. 18/2018 Coll. on the Protection of Personal Data, as amended (the “Act”).

9.2. Consent to the Provision of Personal Data – Film Submission

By completing and submitting the film submission form via

  • https://www.iffartfilm.sk/prihlaska-filmu/
  • https://www.iffartfilm.sk/en/submit-film

the individual:

a) voluntarily consents to the processing of personal data in the information system of ART FILM FEST s.r.o., Kukučínova 81/2, 040 01 Košice – City District Juh, Slovak Republic, Company ID (IČO): 48 284 254 (hereinafter referred to as the “Controller”), within the following scope:

  • first name, last name, academic title
  • email address
  • telephone number
  • company
  • job position

b) for the purpose of:

– registration, processing, and assessment of applications submitted by producers or other authorized persons for the inclusion of their films in the competitive and other program sections of the International Film Festival ART FILM (IFF ART FILM);

c) for a period of:

– no more than two (2) years from the date the consent is granted

If the above personal data are not provided, it shall not be possible to accept, process, or include the submitted film in the competition.

9.3. Consent to the Provision of Personal Data – Data Archiving

By completing and submitting the submission form and granting consent via the form, the individual may also provide voluntary consent to the processing of personal data in the Controller’s information system after the expiration of the consent referred to in Article 9.2, and within the same original scope.

Purpose: archiving of the submitted film and contact personal data of the natural person in the Controller’s information system for the purposes of potential future interest in the submitted films

Duration: for the duration of international film festivals held under the name IFF ART FILM

This consent is voluntary and does not affect the selection of the submitted film for the competition. If this consent is not granted, the Festival Organizer undertakes to delete all personal data obtained through the submission form (Article 9.2 – Consent to the Provision of Personal Data – Film Submission) in full upon expiration of the applicable consent period.

INFORMATION ON THE RIGHTS OF DATA SUBJECTS AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTS

The right of access to personal data may be exercised most effectively by submitting a written request to the Controller’s email address: dpo@iffartfilm.com

Data Protection Officer: Peter Jurák

The data subject also has the right to:

  • request rectification of personal data
  • request restriction of processing of personal data
  • request erasure of personal data from the Controller’s information system
  • object to the processing of personal data
  • file a motion to initiate proceedings pursuant to Section 100 of Act No. 18/2018 Coll. on the Protection of Personal Data

The protection of rights may also be sought by lodging a complaint with the Office for Personal Data Protection of the Slovak Republic.

The Controller may provide personal data to additional categories of recipients (the “Processors”), namely:

  • technical support and software development providers
  • staff members and external collaborators

The purpose of such data sharing is to ensure the technical operation of the registration system and the organizational preparation of the Festival.

Both the Controller and the Processors undertake to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful damage or destruction, accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized access or disclosure, as well as against any other unlawful forms of processing.

The Controller does not intend to transfer personal data to third countries or international organizations.

10. Key Dates and Deadlines

  • 10 April 2026 – Film submission deadline
  • 15 May 2026 – Final selection announcement
  • 31 May 2026 – Delivery of documentation
  • 10 June 2026 – Delivery of screening materials
  • 19–26 June 2026 – 32nd IFF ART FILM
  • 31 July 2026 – Notification of export destinations

Festival Headquarters
ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Kukučínova 81/2
040 01 Košice – City District Juh
Slovak Republic

Festival Office / Postal Address
ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Tomášikova 30C
821 01 Bratislava
Slovak Republic

E-mail: info@iffartfilm.com
Website: www.iffartfilm.com
Phone: +421 2 20 85 51 00

These Statutes enter into force on the date of their publication on the Main Organizer’s website: www.iffartfilm.com

Updated on: 09 January 2026