FEBIOFEST Bratislava

The 33rd annual FEBIOFEST Bratislava International Film Festival will take place from March 11 to 17, 2026. This year, it will also bring you Oscar-winning films, new films by winning directors from the prestigious Cannes festival, and films screened at other A-list festivals in Toronto, Rotterdam, and Venice.

The festival’s goal is not only to bring contemporary and archival films, domestic and foreign, to the audience, but also to support the distribution, development, and production of new films.

PROGRAM:

The opening film of the 33rd FEBIOFEST Bratislava IFF will be a film about the phenomenal figure skater Ondrej Nepel – the film CHAMPION.

We will also premiere the drama DANCE WITH A BEAR – an emotional probe into a partnership exposed to a fundamental life test.

The festival will be officially closed by the heist crime comedy POBERTA.

Pillion

The first film to be presented and one of the main visuals of the 33rd FEBIOFEST is Pillion. Harry Lighton’s bold debut brings an intimate story about desire, intimacy and the limits of self-worth. Starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.

Shy and introverted Colin lives a low-key life until he meets charismatic biker Ray. A chance encounter draws him into a world of intense attraction, power and clearly set rules. The film premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Best Screenplay Award. 🏆

Heel

Director Jan Komasa’s psychological thriller is a disturbing exploration of power and manipulation. Tommy, a provocative internet influencer who spreads violence and ruthlessness, wakes up after a wild night to find himself captive in a remote country estate. He is held there by a married couple, the outwardly calm Chris and the quiet Kathryn, who take away his phone, isolate him from the outside world, and subject him to a strange “re-education.”The usual rules do not apply in the house, and Tommy gradually realizes that this is not a random kidnapping, but a well-thought-out plan for his “moral rehabilitation.”

Operation Pope

Operation Pope is a gritty political thriller inspired by a real plot to assassinate the head of the Catholic Church. On orders from the Kremlin, Bulgarian secret services and their Polish comrades prepare an operation to kill the Pope. In the shadow of the Cold War, a dangerous game full of manipulation, loyalty, and betrayal unfolds. The most suitable man to cover up the traces and eliminate the assassin is former Polish secret service agent Konstanty Brusicki, nicknamed “Bruno.” However, he only has one month to live.

Orphan

Oscar winner László Nemes and his latest film BUDAPEST 1957. Budapest, 1957. Young Jewish boy Andor grows up with his mother, who spends his whole life telling him idealized stories about his deceased father. However, his world is shaken to its foundations when a rough and uncompromising man appears – claiming to be his real father. An intimate and tense drama about identity, loss, and painful truths. The director of the Oscar-winning film Son of Saul brings us a powerful story set in a period of uncertainty and trauma, where personal histories collide with larger ones.

A Silent Friend

ldikó Enyedi, known for her award-winning films such as On Body and Soul (2017) and I Loved My Wife (2021), presents a lyrical film spanning three periods – 1908, 1972, and 2020. At the center of the story is a majestic, century-old tree in the botanical garden of a German university, which becomes a silent witness to the stories of three people searching for their place in the world.

The Last Prometheus of Donbas

This documentary by Ukrainian director and photographer Anton Shtuka captures the daily struggle for heat and light, reveals the workings of the industrial giant in the Donetsk region, and pays tribute to the power plant’s employees.

The Czech Film Project

During the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 29 prominent figures from Czech cinema meet in a hotel room. Each of them is asked one question: what makes Czech film Czech today? The result is a mosaic of opinions that captures the state of contemporary Czech cinema, the atmosphere of the times, and social issues resonating among filmmakers. The documentary is loosely inspired by Wim Wenders’ 1988 film Room 666.

Silver

In an inhospitable, almost lunar landscape, miners live with their families in the shadow of a silver mine, where daily work brings with it the constant risk of death. Polish director Natalia Koniarz reveals with empathy and visual precision not only the everyday life of the local community, but also the broader historical context, the colonial roots of European wealth, the price of progress, and the imbalance of a world built on the invisible labor of others.

The Secret Agent

This Brazilian political thriller, winner of two Golden Globes and an Oscar nominee, will be part of Febiofest! Brazil, 1977. While the country is gripped by military dictatorship, the streets are flooded with carnival euphoria. Technology expert Marcelo is on the run. He believes that he will find refuge for a safe life with his young son in the coastal city of Recife. However, he soon discovers that he is being pursued by hired killers and that every step could be his last.

Time to the Target

Vitalij Mansky returns to his hometown of Lviv, where he spent a year and a half documenting the seemingly peaceful life in the rear. The war is made tangible here mainly by the never-ending funerals and the threat of rocket attacks. This is also reflected in the title, Time to Strike. The film premiered last year at the Berlinale and won the award for best Czech documentary film at the Jihlava Documentary Film Festival.

Blame

In his latest film, documentary filmmaker Christian Frei sharply contrasts two worlds—the slow, precise rhythm of scientific research and the hectic, often toxic pace of political and media debate. The film follows three scientists who have spent years studying bats and warning of the risk of a new pandemic. When COVID-19 hits the world, their research suddenly finds itself at the center of global attention. Instead of recognition, however, comes a wave of accusations, political pressure, and conspiracy theories.

Alice in Wonderland

Celebrate the anniversary of the beloved animated film at FEBIOFEST!
Meet the Mad Hatter, the ever-hurrying White Rabbit, and the stern Queen of Hearts once again, and let yourself be carried away to a land where the impossible is possible and imagination knows no bounds.

A Clockwork Orange

The Mirror of the Past section will feature Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic. A Clockwork Orange is a shocking, visually captivating, and philosophically disturbing exploration of the world of violence, manipulation, and control.

IN THE MIDDLE OF EUROPE

competition section for short films. The selection consists of 20 films from Central Europe, which will be divided into 4 film blocks. The screenings will be accompanied by discussions with the filmmakers.

The projects are competing for five awards:

Best Febio Pitch Award
Cineuropa Work in Progress Award
TATINO FILMS Award
MIDPOINT Consulting Award
Krakow Film Festival and DocLab Poland Award
DAE Talent Encouragement Award

See you at Febiofest!

Venue: Kino Lumière and Mladosť 33, Bratislava
Date: 11.03.2026 – 17.03.2026

Join us for more great things to do and tips on the best BRATISLAVA EVENTS.