From September 2 to 5, 2026, the city on the Danube celebrates two decades of the festival of Danube countries, with the opening ceremony at 9 PM broadcast live on national television.
The 20th Vukovar Film Festival, a jubilee edition, will take place from September 2 to 5, 2026, and this year brings a historic first: the opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Croatian Radiotelevision for the first time. After two decades, the festival gains national television visibility it has never had before.
The organization remains led by director and producer Darko Puharić, who also serves as the festival's director, while the artistic director for the second consecutive year is the esteemed Croatian actor Dragan Despot. The City of Vukovar and HRT have signed an agreement making the public broadcaster the official partner and holder of the television broadcast of the opening, scheduled for September 2 at 9 PM.
For years, the festival has nurtured a distinctive Danube concept. The ten countries through which the Danube flows-Germany, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine-can submit their works to the official selection, which includes both feature and documentary films, whether full-length or short. Animated films, however, have an international character and can come from anywhere in the world.
Four main categories were planned for the jubilee edition: feature-length fiction, short fiction, documentary, and animated films. The best works traditionally receive the Golden Barge award, and films produced after January 1, 2025, are eligible for competition.
Open-air screenings have always been a hallmark of the festival. The Eltz Castle Park is one of the event's trademarks, and in recent years, the Vukovar Water Tower amphitheater has also stood out. The blend of film, the Danube, historic locations, and late-summer evenings gives the festival an atmosphere hard to find elsewhere.
While the exact screening schedule and all titles will be announced closer to the festival's start, it is already clear that the program will cater to diverse cinematic tastes, with a special focus on works from the Danube region.
