On November 7-12, Baku will become a film arena. World-class authors will meet at the Baku International Film Festival!
Those who want to be part of the festival, do not miss the film submissions of the 16th BBFF!
The Festival, which announced a competition for feature films last year, will once again hold two main categories this year - debut feature films and short films.

International competition

Foreign and local authors can submit debut feature films (first or second fiction film) of no less than 52 minutes to the full-length film category of the International competition.
In the short film category, feature, documentary, and animation films of no more than 30 minutes by foreign and local authors are accepted.
Films produced in 2024-2025 are sent via the https://filmfreeway.com/bakufilmfest platform.

The acceptance of films will continue until August 1, 2025.

The Selection Commission, consisting of professional experts, evaluates the films for their unique approach, interesting style, and features arising from the peculiarities of each genre.
The list of films participating in the competition will be posted on our website and social media accounts on October 10, 2025.
The films participating in the competition are evaluated by a jury consisting of foreign and local cinematographers who have received the highest awards and have a say in the international arena.
The winners are awarded in various nominations. The main prize of the Baku International Film Festival is the “Golden Pomegranate”, which depicts a woman carrying dozens of grains of paradise - ideas and energy in her womb. This figurine is a symbol of the director who carries energy, ideas and scripts in her “womb”. When the time comes, the director brings what is “in the womb” to real space. Thus, cinema begins with the reflection of light in the darkness.

Considering the important role of debut films in the development of cinema, BBFF has been announcing a competition for debut feature films for the second year in a row. Debutants try to make films that are different and bolder than established traditions, and strive to express their own style using new narratives and visual tools. Through these films, new creative directions and new trends are formed in cinema, new signatures emerge, and experiments are carried out. It is debut films that define the cinema of tomorrow. BBFF aims to become a platform for debutants who enrich the language of cinema through bold and unconventional approaches. In addition to showing debut films on the big screen and introducing them to the film industry, the festival also stimulates directors and mediates their entry into the international arena.

The Baku International Film Festival, which celebrates its 16th anniversary this year, was founded by the Young Cinematographers Center. Over the years, the festival team has moved forward with a love for cinema, communication with creative people, and a desire to explore different worlds.