Short Film Competition 2026:
Call for Entries
We are excited to invite filmmakers to submit their works to UFFB 2026 which will take place on October 14 – 18, 2026!
We are looking for Ukrainian films, as well as films from around the world
that are either created by Ukrainians or focus on Ukraine.
- Films must not exceed 35 minutes in length.
- Must have been completed no earlier than January 1, 2025.
- Submission Deadline: August 15th, 2026.
By submitting a film to UFFB, you consent to its screening at the festival. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure all necessary permissions have been obtained prior to submission.
For promotional purposes, UFFB may publish or share excerpts (up to 90 seconds or 10% of the film’s total length) with the press. Additionally, selected films may be made available in full to accredited press representatives for reporting purposes.
We look forward to discovering unique and cinematic works from and about Ukraine!
Submit your film via FilmFreeway!
Berlin, 01.02.2026
UFFB Short Film Competition 2025 Award
Statement of the international jury of the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin, 26.10.2025
:: Winning film ::
A young woman living abroad tries to teach her mother, who lives back home in Ukraine, how to use Zoom and create an email account. What begins as a simple tutorial in technology gradually unfolds into a tender, funny, and deeply layered portrait of communication and its discontents, of what is spoken and what remains unsaid, of family codes that endure across silence, absence, and time.
This animated documentary plays brilliantly with form, finding wit and warmth in every frame. Its animation is simple yet never simplistic, and its vivid colors give emotional texture to a story that feels both intimate and universal. Through logins, windows and digital interruptions, the film reveals something far more profound about care, understanding, and longing.
We, the jury members, were moved by a film that captures the convergence of the trouble of communication with the generation gap, transforming technological glitches into emotional insights, and distance into re-connection. It is a film both playful and profound, wireless in the affection it transmits to its audience.
The winner of the Short Film Competition at this year’s edition of the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin is…
“Can You Hear Me?“
by Anastazja Naumenko
:: Honorary mention ::
To the film that uncovers how echoes from the past have shaped our current reality and restores our memory so that, instead of simply saying ‘never again,’ we can enter a new cycle with a deeper understanding of who we are.
The film accomplishes this political act through poetic and sensual cinematography, bravely playing with timelines and showcasing the daring vision of a promising young filmmaking team.
An Honorary mention goes to…
“Critical Condition”
by Mila Zhluktenko
