The American Independent Film Festival returns to Bucharest for its 10th edition, from June 5 to 11, 2026, bringing a new selection of American independent films to Cinema Elvire Popesco and Peasant’s Museum Cinema Muzeul.
AIFF.10 continues the festival’s focus on cinema outside Hollywood conventions, with films selected from major international festivals, special screenings, Q&A sessions, open talks, and guests meeting the Bucharest audience.
American Independent Film Festival.10
The 2026 edition marks the 10th edition of the American Independent Film Festival in Bucharest.
The festival presents recent independent productions, critically acclaimed titles, films selected at major festivals, and works by filmmakers whose cinema moves beyond mainstream formulas.
This year’s edition includes titles such as I Swear, Is This Thing On?, Tuner, Queen at Sea, Hamnet, Mouse, Nomadland, H Is for Hawk, If I Go Will They Miss Me, The Testament of Ann Lee, Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, Two People Exchanging Saliva, and Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.
The screenings will take place at Cinema Elvire Popesco and Cinema Muzeul Țăranului, two of Bucharest’s most active venues for film festivals and special cinema events.
Guests, Open Talks and Special Screenings
The 10th edition of the American Independent Film Festival also brings guests and conversations with filmmakers to Bucharest.
One of the central figures of this year’s edition is Kitty Green, the Australian director known for films that explore power, gender, labour, and social pressure with a sharp, controlled cinematic language. The festival’s FOCUS AIFF section is dedicated to her work in 2026.
The Bucharest audience will be able to see The Assistant and Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, followed by meetings and discussions around the films.
Natalie Musteata will also be present in Bucharest, together with Alexandre Singh, for Two People Exchanging Saliva, the short film that won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2026. The film will be screened at Cinema Elvire Popesco, followed by an Open Talk with the filmmakers.
Films in the 2026 Bucharest Programme
AIFF.10 brings a varied programme to Bucharest, from dramas and dark comedies to documentaries, biographical films and cult cinema.
Among the films included in the Bucharest programme are I Swear, directed by Kirk Jones, Is This Thing On?, directed by Bradley Cooper, Tuner, directed by Daniel Roher, Mouse, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, The Testament of Ann Lee, directed by Mona Fastvold, and Queen at Sea, directed by Lance Hammer.
The programme also includes Nomadland, Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-winning film, The Assistant, directed by Kitty Green, Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, also directed by Kitty Green, and Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Quentin Tarantino’s complete version of the cult story.
The screenings are scheduled across seven days, from June 5 to June 11, at Cinema Elvire Popesco and Cinema Muzeul Țăranului.
Cinema Elvire Popesco
Cinema Elvire Popesco is one of Bucharest’s best-known venues for European, independent, festival and arthouse cinema.
Located on Bulevardul Dacia, the cinema is part of the French Institute in Bucharest and regularly hosts film festivals, premieres, cultural screenings and international cinema events.
Cinema Muzeul Țăranului – Peasant’s Museum Cinema
Cinema Muzeul Țăranului is located at the Romanian Peasant Museum, one of Bucharest’s most important cultural institutions.
The cinema is a familiar location for independent film festivals, documentary screenings, cultural debates and special film events in Bucharest.
Tickets for the American Independent Film Festival
Tickets for the American Independent Film Festival are available online through Eventbook.
Visitors should check the official programme before attending, as screening times, guest attendance, ticket availability and access rules may change during the festival.
Visiting Bucharest during the American Independent Film Festival
The American Independent Film Festival takes place in early June, when Bucharest is already bustling with outdoor terraces, cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, and late-spring city walks.
Both Cinema Elvire Popesco and Cinema Muzeul Țăranului are located in central areas of the city, making the festival easy to include in a Bucharest itinerary.
Visitors coming for AIFF.10 can also explore Calea Victoriei, Piața Romană, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Old Town, Herăstrău Park, the museums around Piața Victoriei, and the cafés, restaurants and bars in central Bucharest.
Between June 5 and 11, 2026, the American Independent Film Festival brings American indie cinema, festival premieres, special guests and open talks back to Bucharest.
