A call for films and videos portraying subjects ranging from architecture, music, and literature to visual arts, design, theatre, cinema, and video art.
Festival Name: MASTER OF ART Film Festival
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Dates: February 5–28, 2027
Edition: 12th edition
Organiser: Spotlight Production Company
About the Festival:The Master of Art Film Festival is a unique cultural event and the only international festival in Eastern Europe dedicated to documentary films about art. The festival takes place in the Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna. Its focus is on diverse perspectives and approaches to art. The festival programme is dedicated to documentary cinema-documentaries that portray and celebrate artistic perspectives on art history, contemporary art, and the cultural diversity of today’s world.
Themes and categories:Architecture, Art and Children, Art and Power, Contemporary Art, Culinary Art, Design and Fashion, Visual Arts, Literature, Music, Photography, Theatre and Cinema, Art Museums
Special sections:The Video Art and Art Advertising section has a separate award, and the works submitted to this section do not compete with the documentary films or video works submitted to the festival’s other sections.
Awards: Documentary section awards:
- MASTER OF ART – AURUBIS AWARD for Best Documentary of the Festival
- MASTER OF BULGARIAN ART DOCUMENTARY Award for Best Bulgarian Art Documentary, accompanied by a €1,000 cash prize, awarded by the state cultural institution under the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria
- Award for Best Debut Art Documentary
- Award for Best Short Art Documentary
- Award for Most Beautiful Art Documentary
- Special Jury Mention
- Audience Award
- Awards for Best Documentary by Theme:
- Best Documentary on Architecture
- Best Documentary on Art and Children
- Best Documentary on Art and Power
- Best Documentary on Design and Fashion
- Best Documentary on Culinary Art
- Best Documentary on Contemporary Art
- Best Documentary on Visual Arts
- Best Documentary on Photography
- Best Documentary on Literature
- Best Documentary on Music and Dance
- Best Documentary on Theatre and Cinema
- Best Documentary on Art Museums
Video Art section award: MASTER OF VIDEO ART Award for Best Video Art
Accepted genres: Documentary, Video Art, Experimental Videos, Art Advertising, Commercials, and Promotional Works
Production date eligibility:Only films and videos released after January 1, 2025 are eligible for selection in the competition section.
Language and subtitles:All films made in a language other than English, including Bulgarian films, must have English subtitles.
Entry fee:USD 25–85
Submission deadline:December 30, 2026
Additional information:International films submitted to the festival must not have previously been theatrically released in Bulgaria, broadcast on Bulgarian television, or distributed on DVD or online within the territory of Bulgaria. Screening or distribution of a film in other countries does not affect its eligibility for participation in the festival.
Bulgarian documentaries must not have participated in any previous edition of the Master of Art festival. During the selection process, priority will be given to films having their Bulgarian premiere at the festival.
