In 2020, MikroFAF will continue the tradition of connecting, promoting and introducing DIY film authors and independent production. Again we shall open the space for everyone who is interested in film, especially those who create in limited conditions. Through various programs, we will promote artistic freedoms, focusing on amateurism, independence, guerrilla film, art brut, lo-fi, experimental forms and self-organization in creativity.

The eleventh edition of the festival will be held from November 13th to 15th at the Museum of the Yugoslav Film Archive in Belgrade. The motto of this year’s MikroFAF is Can You Breathe?, with which we want to draw attention to the global sociopolitical unrests and turmoils that marked 2020 with their negative consequences and difficult challenges. These changes, unprecedented for many generations, prevent free movement, working, expressing yourself, survival of the arts, standard social life, breathing… That is why we will dedicate a special competition category to films dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, the escalation of racism in the US, the strengthening of the right-wing movement in Europe, endangering the survival of art and artists, suffocating media and personal freedoms, economic turbulence… As a result of all these phenomena, 2020 has brought us dramatic restraints of physical freedom and threats to mental health. Isolation, either physical or in the form of xenophobic denial of racial and cultural diversity, produces effects of anxiety and displacement from everyday life and spiritual suffocation, and therefore humanity is spending this year globally like a fish out of water. Positive outcome is also possible, in terms of reinforcing solidarity, uniting in solving community problems, rebellion against discrimination and abuse of power. We invite you to reflect upon these topics and to raise questions through your films, which will be great contribution to 2020 edition of MikroFAF.

11^th MikroFAF festival submission categories:

1. Short DIY Film. Refers to films of all genres (fiction, documentary, animated, experimental…), topics and production techniques, made in non-professional circumstances, without the involvement of film professionals and without professional obligations during or after the production.
2. Independent Short Film. Refers to films that do not match the above mentioned DIY criteria because their making involved professionals, but were made in independent production, without commercial and producers’ pressure.
3. Can You Breathe? The focus of this category is on films that reflect or re-examine the global turmoils in the first half of 2020. It is inspired by the brutal act of police racism and the consequent global anti-racist protests, and it refers to all the difficulties that humanity has faced in recent months. The world pandemic and its physical, social and mental consequ ences joined forces with xenophobia and racism against human and artist freedom.These circumstances can result in alienation, fear, poverty… But they can also encourage community awakening in the struggle to restore the value of human life and abolish artificial divisions. We are interested in your films that talk about these topics and approach them from innovative aspects, regardless of the genre approach and production conditions.
4. Junior Film. A category intended for filmmakers who were not older than 18 at the moment of creating submitted films.

Submission rules:

1. The deadline for submitting entries is 5^th October 2020.
2. Acceptable duration of short films is up to 15 minutes.
3. A maximum of 3 films can be submitted by each author.
4. There are no restrictions on the country of origin of the author.
5. The author must indicate which category they are entering the film for:

• Do it yourself film – regional selection (Former Yugoslavian countries)
• Do it yourself film film – international selection
• Independent film – regional selection (Former Yugoslavian countries)
• Independent film – international selection
• Can You Breathe? selection
• Junior film

6. Films that are not in Serbo-Croatian or English must have a translation in one of these languages.
7. Films have to be uploaded to
8. Required information when applying: the name and the category of the film; country of production; the duration and a brief description of the film (up to 500 words); the author’s name, age and a short author biography (up to 500 words); contact phone number and e-mail address of the author. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Notes: Once entered, it is not possible to withdraw your film from the festival. The festival holds the right to show the chosen films several times as part of the selection of the festival programme, as well as to use clips or stills from the films for promotional purposes.

Good luck!
Yours, MikroFAF team