The BIEFF.13 International Short Film Competition returns with 40 titles, chosen from over 1,500 films submitted to the 13th edition of the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival, says a press release of the organizers sent to AGERPRES.

The selected short films come from 22 countries, and half of them are signed or co-directed by women filmmakers. The entire selection of films can be seen for the first time between September 26 and October 1 in Bucharest. Made by Oana Ghera, artistic director of the festival, together with Flavia Dima and Calin Boto, associate curators, this year’s selection of BIEFF’s international short film competition is organized discursively in seven curatorial programmes that discuss topics of contemporary interest, inviting reflection on the world we live in, but also on how images mediate or shape our understanding of social, cultural or historical realities.

Three film professionals will nominate the winners of the prizes awarded in this section: BIEFF Award for Best Short Film and Best Director Award, worth 1,000 euros each. The film that will win the competition with Best Visual Concept will also be rewarded with a prize worth 1,000 euros. Among the filmmakers invited to the jury of the International Short Film Competition at the 13th BIEFF edition is Elena Duque – creator of experimental animated films presented in the program of prestigious festivals such as Mar del Plata, Punto de Vista, London Animation Film Festival or Documenta Madrid, but also in special events hosted by Kino Arsenal (Berlin) and CCCB (Barcelona).

She is currently involved in the development of the programmes (S8) Mostra de Cinema Periferico in A Coruna and Seville European Film Festival. The jury will also include Florian Fernandez, coordinator of the various initiatives developed within Rendezvous Industry – the four-day forum dedicated to short films and their filmmakers, organized by the Cannes Film Festival. He is a member of the selection committees of Encounters Film Festival, Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinema and SXSW Doc Shorts. He collaborates annually as part of the European Short Pitch reading committee and the Short Film Lab training program. Member of the European Film Academy (EFA) and of the Italian Film Critics Union (SNCCI), Eddie Bertozzi confirmed his presence in Bucharest to be part of the jury of the International Short Film Competition.

He holds a PhD in Film Studies and from 2009 to 2020 she coordinated the International Film Critics Week programme. Since 2021 he has been leading the selection committee of the Pardi di domani section and advising on the selection of films included in the competition sections of the Locarno Film Festival. BIEFF is organized by the Manekino Cultural Association and the project is financed by the Ministry of Culture and co-financed by the City Hall of Sector 2 and the City Hall of Bucharest through ARCUB within the Bucharest at Home Programme 2023. The AGERPRES National News Agency is media partner of the event.