About VILNIUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Vilnius International Film Festival (Vilnius IFF) KINO PAVASARIS is unquestionably one of the most anticipated annual cultural events in Lithuania – perhaps even the one.

It is the largest cinematic event in the country, known and loved for its high quality film programme and rich accompanying package of cinema-related events, workshops, and special initiatives.

In March every year, Vilnius IFF presents about 170 films divided into a number of categories, from Horizons and Brave Vision to Hot Documentary and various retrospectives, and everything in between. The past decade has seen an increase in festival attendance, from 55 000 to 126 000 (2019). The 25th anniversary edition of the festival switched to a digital format – one of the first in the world to do so. Due to the pandemic, physical screenings were moved to five streaming platforms.

Taking on a more international format, Vilnius IFF successfully cooperates with various other international film festivals (among them – the IFFs of Warsaw, Sarajevo, Sofia, Tallinn, Minsk, Wroclaw and Transylvania ) as well as film companies, distributors, and independent producers. Our membership of CICAE (International Confederation of Art Cinemas) and the long-lasting partnership with the EU’s Media programme is yet another sign of our dedication to showcase only the best of independent cinema. We hope to expand this network of collaboration to involve even more cinema-fascinated souls.

New Europe, New Names

In 2009, Vilnius IFF introduced NEW EUROPE – NEW NAMES, a competition programme with a solid international jury aimed at the best talent among debuting Central/Eastern European filmmakers. The programme was so successful it became one of the IFF’s constant features.

Social Responsibility

Being a socially-conscious institution, Vilnius IFF seeks to promote cinema beyond the festival itself. We organize various educational and social projects, such as educational programmes for high school and university students (CINEMA BOOK and KINO PAVASARIS IN YOUR UNIVERSITY), awareness-raising initiatives, exhibitions, workshops, and training courses for young filmmakers, among others.

Vilnius IFF Mission

  • Provide audiences with the most powerful, most intriguing, least expected independent cinema from all around the world
  • Celebrate cinema in the city of Vilnius in all its multi-dimensional forms
  • Engage and inspire the next generation of filmmakers

Vilnius IFF Vision

  • To gain international recognition as one of the leading international film festivals in Central/Eastern Europe
  • To showcase the best debut films from the region in the Competition programme
  • To introduce the world’s best actors and filmmakers to our audiences, and vice versa

Contact person – Algirdas Ramaška, algirdas@kinopavasaris.lt