Location: Kino Karaman, Zlatna vrata Cinematheque, Academia Club Ghetto and, Salon Galić

Date:  11 -  18 September, 2026

World, European and Croatian Premieres in Split: The 31st Split Film Festival Begins

Only a few days remain before the start of the 31st Split Film Festival. From September 11 to 18, Split will once again host an international programme of contemporary auteur cinema and media art, exploring the many possibilities of what film can be today. This year’s festival will take place at several locations across the city – Kino Karaman, Zlatna vrata Cinematheque, Academia Club Ghetto and, for the first time, Salon Galić.

Over eight festival days, a total of 59 films from 27 countries will be screened. The festival programme features three competitions: the Feature Film Competition, the Short Film Competition and the Media Art Competition, which returns to the festival programme after twenty years in collaboration with HULU Split. This year’s edition features a large number of premiere screenings and an impressive line-up of guests, including the festival’s special guest, director Carlos Reygadas.

The film competitions will take place at Kino Karaman. The festival opens on September 12 with the documentary Az Zeeb, part of the Feature Film Competition, by Chilean director Rafael Guendelman. The same competition features the world premieres of Balaton, Aydinlar – Where the World Ends and Chihiro – Akemi, as well as the European premiere of Afterword. The Short Film Competition presents a selection of recent short-form works by filmmakers who, through diverse approaches, create space for experimentation.

After twenty years, the Media Art Competition also returns to the festival programme, realised in collaboration with HULU Split. Five selected works will be presented at Salon Galić, including a video installation, video sculpture, sound installation and video game. The exhibition opens on September 11, marking the beginning of the festival programme at this new venue.

Alongside the competition programmes, audiences can look forward to a wide range of special and accompanying programmes taking place at Zlatna vrata Cinematheque and Academia Club Ghetto. Highlights of the special programmes include a retrospective of Aleksandar Stasenko, organised in collaboration with the Croatian State Archives, featuring four newly digitised films. The programme also includes a selection of Dalmatian experimental films from 1960 to 2010, curated by Professor Dan Oki from the Arts Academy in Split, as well as a three-day programme of Croatian cinema showcasing recent domestic productions, including Među nama by director Laura Pascu.

As part of the Frame Extended programme, the film City Child by director Austin Lynch, son of world-renowned filmmaker David Lynch, will be presented. Austin Lynch will be visiting Split this year to present his work as part of the festival.

The festival programme also features a range of educational and accompanying activities. These include a poetry, photography and film workshop for children aged 9 to 15, a lecture on film editing by Tony Paraskeva, a professor at a London university, and this year’s festival highlight – a free masterclass by Carlos Reygadas, a pioneer of the third wave of Mexican cinema and a multi-award-winning filmmaker at the Cannes Film Festival.

This year’s visual identity was created by designer Hrvoje Hiršl, while the festival awards were designed by sculptor Boris Šitum.

The complete programme and schedule of screenings and events, ticket information and all other details are available on the official Split Film Festival website and the festival’s social media channels.

Important links:

1. Feature Film Competition: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcYZb-jiJj1/?stkn=MWQ5YnRhZGF1ZTYw
2. Retrospective: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcoBr3giCLk/?stkn=ajgxenRqeDdkNzhm
3. Dalmatian Experimental Film: https://www.instagram.com/p/DctH-R4CPmd/?stkn=MTFtcnN4OTdxbDluMw==
4. Croatian Feature Film: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcybYxAiFxr/?stkn=amJma2hyMWZvb20x
5. Poetry, Photography and Film Workshop for Children: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcvmepXCNvq/?stkn=ZW82YzRjbzZxY3Bl

Note: The Main Programme at Kino Karaman is ticketed. Tickets can be purchased online via the link above or at the cinema box office 30 minutes before the screening. All other festival programmes are free of charge.

Tickets: https://core-event.co/events/31-split-film-festival-b2c2/