REGULATIONS TIFF.24
Transilvania International Film Festival - 24th edition | 2025, June, 13-22 | Cluj-Napoca
General issues
Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) is organized by the Romanian Film Promotion and the Transilvania Film Festival Association and is the first and most prestigious competitive feature film festival in Romania.
The primary objective of TIFF is to promote cinema as an art form by presenting some of the most significant films of the moment - films endowed with originality and free expression, exhibiting unconventional uses of cinematic language, or expressing emerging cutting-edge currents.
TIFF is an annual event whose 24th edition will take place in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, between the 13th and 22nd of June 2025. Each selected film will be screened at least twice. The screenings take place both in traditional movie theaters and in unconventional venues. A representative selection from the 2025 Transilvania IFF program will be subsequently shown in Bucharest, Sibiu, Timișoara, Oradea and other selected cities during TIFF Unlimited Caravan.
Sections
Official Competition
Representative for the most recent output in world cinema, this section includes fiction features only and is open to first and second-time directors. Only national premieres are considered.
Romanian Days
This national platform includes a competitive section for Romanian shorts and features produced in 2024 and 2025; Romanian shorts and features shown out of competition; gala screenings; and minority co-productions with Romania, shown out of competition.
What's Up, Doc?
Competitive section of documentaries and hybrid movies, open to first and second-time directors. Only national premieres are considered. The minimum length of the films in the competitive section must be 60 minutes.
Supernova
Non-competitive showcase of the most significant features and documentaries of the year, including titles awarded in major international festivals, works by renowned auteurs, national box-office leaders, and audience hits meant for open-air screenings.
Full Moon
Non-competitive showcase for fantasy, thriller, and horror genre features.
No Limit
Non-competitive section dedicated to features and documentaries that are provocative, controversial, experimental, transgressive, and innovating in both form and content.
In addition to the sections above, Transilvania IFF’s 24th edition includes special events, conferences, workshops, master classes, non-competitive sections (national showcases, best-of selections, auteur retrospectives, etc.), media education and cinematic arts programs for children and teenagers, concerts, photo exhibits, book launches, etc.
Awards
Main awards in the official competition:
The Transilvania Trophy for best film in the Official Competition (EUR 10.000, divided 50-50 between director and majority producer; cannot be awarded ex-aequo).
Best Director in the Official Competition (EUR 5000, going towards the director).
Special Jury Prize (EUR 3000, going towards the director).
Best Performance (EUR 1000, going towards a male or female actor or ensemble).
The Official Competition Jury may award two special mentions.
Other TIFF awards:
What’s Up, Doc? Award, for the best film in What's Up, Doc? section. (EUR 2000 divided 50-50 between director and majority producer; cannot be awarded ex-aequo)
FIPRESCI Award, offered by a jury of members of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) to a feature film in the Romanian Days section.
Audience Award, decided by audience vote among the films in the Official Competition.
Excellence Award, dedicated to an outstanding figure of Romanian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated to an outstanding figure of world cinema.
Romanian Days Award: Feature Film (divided 50-50 between director and majority producer).
Romanian Days Award: Short (going towards the director).
Romanian Days Award: Debut (going towards the selected winner).
Eligibility
1. Release (world premiere) dates for films selected in the competitive programs of the festival must be after May 1st, 2024.
2. Foreign and Romanian entries in the Official Competition and What’s Up, Doc? competition must not have been screened in Romania.
3. National premieres have priority in the Romanian Days section.
4. Screening materials must be on DCP or HD digital files.
5. As films are presented in the original language with Romanian and English subtitling as necessary, selected films must provide an English dialogue list in a customary electronic format (.srt, .stl, .sub, .ssa, .xml etc, but not .pdf or .xls) which includes time codes.
6. The festival does not provide screening fees for films in the competitive sections of Transilvania IFF (the Official Competition, What's Up, Doc?) and in the Romanian Days.
Submissions
Screening rights-holders (producers or distributors) must fill in the submission form on the Eventival platform. Transilvania IFF regulations and submission forms can be found at: https://vp.eventival.com/tiff/2025. Online screener links including usernames or passwords can be inserted in the submission forms.
Please note that national Romanian premieres are given priority in the selection process in all sections.
Applying producers or distributors are responsible for the information provided in the submission form.
Deadlines
February 1st, 2025 for submissions for the Official Competition, Romanian Days (shorts and features), What's Up, Doc?, Full Moon, Supernova and No Limit sections.
Submission fees
International features:
EUR 20.00 (early bird, October 21st - December 21st, 2024)
EUR 40.00 (December 22nd - February 1st, 2025)
Romanian films have no submission fee.
Selection
The official selection for Transilvania IFF will be announced one month before the festival opening.
The official program (scheduling and locations) will be set by the festival organizers.
The festival is open to the public as well as to the large number of accredited journalists and distributors attending the festival.
The winners of the Official Competition and What’s Up, Doc? will have an additional screening on the last festival day, for no screening fee.
Producers and distributors who hold screening rights for the shorts selected in the Romanian Days section will allow additional screenings free of charge of their films at the satellite events organized by Transilvania IFF in 2025
Producers and distributors who hold screening rights for features selected in the Romanian Days section will grant TIFF priority to screen their films at the satellite events organized by Transilvania IFF in 2025.
Acceptance to participate in the festival implies compliance with the regulations herein.
Print traffic & press kits
If selected for the festival, the right-holders of each film will be contacted by the festival team regarding participation to the festival and the full list of needed materials.
Physical screening materials (such as DCP etc.) for each film will be sent by May 1st, 2025 to Romanian Film Promotion (Str. Popa Soare, nr. 52, et.1, ap.4, Sector 2, Bucharest 023984) or to the address indicated by the festival print traffic department via e-mail.
Return print transport costs will be covered by the film distributor or producer.
While the screening materials are in TIFF custody, TIFF shall take on all responsibility for damages relating to storing and exploiting said materials and shall take on insurance covering the unlikely eventuality of such damages.
Along with the screening materials, press kits and publicity materials for all selected films must reach the same address or be sent electronically to [email protected] for the print traffic department by May 1st, 2025.
Press kits and publicity materials must contain:
press notes
film stills
photos of the director and main cast members
director’s filmography
dialogue list (in English, in a customary electronic format with time codes like .srt, .stl, .sub, .ssa, etc, but not .pdf or .xls)
film trailer
official poster
technical specifications
