The 22nd edition of the Early Bird International Student Film Festival will be held from November 1 to 5, 2026, in Sofia. The festival is organized by the American Foundation for Bulgaria, which once again provides young filmmakers with a platform where their bold ideas and powerful stories can reach a wide audience. The National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) is the co-organizer of the festival, and the screenings will take place at the G8 Cultural Center.
The programme features 70 films by talented young filmmakers from 30 countries, with a special focus on animation this year.
A key highlight of this year’s festival programme is Animating Together: A Participatory Animation Workshop, led by Nairy Eivazy, PhD in the Arts from Belgium and a member of the international jury.
The International Jury
Mariusz Rusiński (Poland) — President of the Jury and winner of the Early Bird 2025 Grand Award for his film Houdini.
Nairy Eivazy (Belgium) — PhD in the Arts, LUCA School of Arts / KU Leuven.
Kalina Nikolova (Bulgaria) — film director and film scholar.
Prof. Bülent Küçükerdoğan (Türkiye) — Head of the Department of Cinema and Television, Faculty of Communication, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep.
We look forward to welcoming you!