The Bucharest International Film Festival (BIFF) returns for its 22nd edition, 18-27 September 2026. For ten days, audiences can discover international and Romanian productions, national premieres, special screenings, gala events and Q&A sessions with filmmakers.
BIFF 2026 takes place at Apollo111, Cinema Muzeul Țăranului Român and deGalben, bringing one of Bucharest’s leading international film events to three cultural venues.
Bucharest International Film Festival 2026
BIFF is Bucharest’s only feature-film competition and one of the longest-running international film festivals in the Romanian capital. Its 2026 programme brings together emerging filmmakers and established directors through competitive screenings, acclaimed international productions, Romanian films, retrospectives and special events.
The CHARTA Foundation and the Grigore Vasiliu Birlic Association organise the festival.
BIFF 2026 Sections
The Bucharest International Film Festival 2026 programme is structured around five main sections:
- International Competition presents feature films from emerging filmmakers and established directors competing for the festival’s main awards.
- Panorama brings contemporary productions previously presented at major international film festivals to Bucharest audiences.
- Romanian Authors focuses on recent Romanian films and co-productions, including screenings attended by directors and crew members.
- History & Cinema explores historical events, collective memory and social change through documentaries and feature films.
- Retrospective presents representative films from the career of a selected international filmmaker.
BIFF 2026 also includes Focus Japan, a special selection dedicated to contemporary Japanese cinema.
BIFF 2026 Programme Highlights
The festival opens on Friday, 18 September, at 19:00, with Redoubt, directed by John Skoog. The screening at Apollo111 is followed by a Q&A session attended by the Swedish filmmaker.
The International Competition includes No Rest for the Wicked, directed by Kasper Kalle, Everytime by Sandra Wollner, The Blow by Julien Gaspar-Oliveri, The Circle by Valeriu Andriuță, 17 by Kosara Mitić, We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki, Heysel 85 by Teodora Ana Mihai and Roya by Mahnaz Mohammadi.
Romanian Films at BIFF 2026
The Romanian Authors section features The Wish Tree: Childhood Memories, directed by Andrei Huțuleac. Inspired by real events and Ion Creangă’s Romanian literary classic Childhood Memories, the family fantasy follows a seriously ill 12-year-old girl who discovers an enchanted tree leading into the world of her favourite story.
BIFF 2026 also presents a special evening dedicated to director Bogdan Mureșanu. The event includes a double screening of What Never Made It Into The New Year That Never Came and Fragments from a Workshop, followed by a Q&A with the director and a photography exhibition by Matei Bumbuț.
Focus Japan at BIFF 2026
The Focus Japan programme takes place on Saturday, 26 September, at Cinema Muzeul Țăranului Român.
At 16:00, audiences can watch The Keeper of the Camphor Tree, directed by Tomohiko Ito. The programme continues at 18:15 with The Samurai and the Prisoner, directed by internationally acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
Fond of Japanese Culture and Gastronomy?
BIFF 2026 Closing Gala
The Bucharest International Film Festival concludes on Sunday, 27 September, at 19:30, with the closing gala screening of I’ll Be Gone in June. Directed by Katharina Rivilis, the German-Swiss production will be screened at Cinema Muzeul Țăranului Român.
Bucharest International Film Festival 2026 Venues
BIFF screenings and events take place at:
- Apollo111 – 23–25 Ion Brezoianu Street, Palatul Universul
- Cinema Muzeul Țăranului Român – Romanian Peasant Museum Cinema – 3 Pavel D. Kiseleff Road
- deGalben – selected Panorama and History & Cinema screenings
BIFF 2026 Tickets and Complete Programme
Screening dates, starting times, venues and ticket links are available on the official festival website. You can purchase tickets separately for each screening when sales open.
