The jubilee 20th edition of the Vukovar Film Festival, from September 2 to 5, brings screenings at attractive locations, names like Pawlikowski and Östlund, and a live broadcast of the opening on HRT.
At the beginning of September, Vukovar will once again become the center of cinematic art. The jubilee, 20th edition of the Vukovar Film Festival will take place from September 2 to 5, 2026, and the program features more than 50 of the latest film titles, renowned directorial names, and a rich accompanying program at several attractive city locations.
The festival will showcase films by some of the biggest names in world cinema. Among the filmmakers presenting their works are Ildikó Enyedi, Agnieszka Holland, Pawel Pawlikowski, Sergei Loznitsa, Andrei Zvyagintsev, and Ruben Östlund. The Croatian scene will be represented by directors Igor Jelinović and Ivan Salaj. The films will compete for the Golden Barge award in four categories: feature-length fiction film, short fiction film, documentary film, and animated film.
The festival's official opening will feature a screening of "Fatherland" by director Pawel Pawlikowski, who was awarded Best Director at Cannes for this work. Audiences can also expect other award-winning titles, such as the Pula winner "Koka" by Igor Jelinović and the Berlin winner "Yellow Letters" by director Ilker Çatak. A special cinematic experience will be the screening of "260 Days" by Jakov Sedlar, which will close the jubilee festival edition.
A special feature of this year's festival is the live broadcast of the opening ceremony on HRT. Thanks to this, the Vukovar Film Festival will become the second festival in Croatia to have its opening broadcast live on national television. Film screenings will take place at several attractive locations: in the park of Eltz Castle, the hall of Eltz Castle, the Croatian Home Vukovar, and the Vukovar Water Tower.
In addition to film screenings, the festival includes partnerships with festivals in Sarajevo and Orašje, the Children's VFF, a performance by Boris Novković, and many other accompanying activities.
The general patron and organizer of the festival is the City of Vukovar. The organization also involves the Vukovar Municipal Museum, the Croatian Home Vukovar, the Vukovar Water Tower, and the Vukovar Tourist Board. The golden sponsor of the festival is Croatian Post.
