THE STORY BEHIND

The idea was at least a simple one: to create a film festival that would focus on, and pay homage to, the NEW: new film makers, new writing, new dreamers who dared to make real though their images what they once only imagined. It is all about new beginnings.

The simplicity behind the idea for SIFF was certainly reassuring. The film makers whose work we want to screen would be relative tyros in movie making; we too were tyros in establishing the festival. And all of us blissfully unaware of all the difficulties that would have to be overcome in making our visions a reality.

As the Serbest International Film Festival is a celebration of new directors, upcoming talents, and people taking their first steps into the world of cinematography, our logotype shows children who carelessly run to a new life like each of us once.

FESTIVAL CONCEPT AND GOALS

The Serbest International Film Festival brings together the most original storytellers and the most adventurous audiences for its annual program of dramatic, documentary, and short films. SIFF is a cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film.
 
The idea of a new film festival emanated from the dire need for a wider space to present films by many new filmmakers from the region and all over the world.  The Serbest International Film Festival therefore includes activities such as promotion, support, incentives, exchange of experiences, and film awards. It will be a venue for new filmmakers to showcase new stories and offer a fresh perspective of humanity and the world we live in.

The festival and the Republic of Moldova have the honor to be the meeting point for new filmmakers and a springboard for their respective career paths.

● To reaffirm and support filmmaking in Moldova to connect Moldavian cinematography with other world cinemas and to establish contacts and strong relationships, especially those with similar, smaller hard pushing path of major world markets and festivals and thus enable networking between them.

● To provide new filmmakers the opportunity to present and promote their debut works to a wide audience and experts.

● To discover new filmmakers by providing a space where they will represent and develop  their projects with script doctors and producers.

● To support regional and European cinemas and to encourage greater support writing authors who are just beginning to start their path in the film industry.

● The festival will especially support those authors who have bold and engaged relationship in access and choice of subjects and that actualize issues beneath the surface of everyday life.

AWARDS & PRIZES

● Best Feature Film 

● Best Short Film

● Best Documentary Film

● Best Documentary Short

● Best Animation Film

● Best Experimental Film

● Best Student film

● Under 5 min Film