The Belarusian Independent Film Academy invites authors to submit feature film projects at various stages of development as applications to participate in the presentation that the Academy will hold at the European Film Market of the Berlinale International Film Festival. The event will take place in February 2026. From the submitted applications, between five to seven projects will be selected for participation.

This will be the fourth consecutive Berlinale European Film Market where film projects by independent Belarusian filmmakers are presented in search of partners and funding. The aim of BIFA is to gather fiction, documentary, and animated feature film projects that, by their format and ambition, seek development within the international film industry and require support for this purpose. Hybrid-genre projects may also be considered. Projects that have already taken part in previous BIFA presentations may reapply if they are at the next stage of development.

In addition to support in targeted partner search, the event at the Berlinale film market is intended to help filmmakers better navigate the European film industry and major international film platforms.

Such an event was first held at the EFM in 2023, when ten projects by Belarusian filmmakers were presented together with the newly established Belarusian Independent Film Academy. Since then, Belarusian film projects in development have been presented annually at the European Film Market. Directors such as Mara Tamkovich, Aliaksei Paluyan, Darya Zhuk, Andrei Kutsila, Sasha Kulak, and others have presented their ideas at BIFA events.

To apply for participation in the pitching, you must fill out the form in both Belarusian and English by December 1.