Bioskop! Short Film Competition returns for its 7th edition: Celebrating the Best of Zimbabwean Short Film
The 7th edition of the Bioskop! Short Film Competition is now open for submissions under the theme “The Best of Zimbabwean Short Film.”
Bioskop! provides a platform for Zimbabwean filmmakers to showcase their stories, perspectives and filmmaking talent. This year’s competition celebrates the many ways Zimbabwean stories are imagined and brought to the screen – from compelling narratives and thought-provoking documentaries to exceptional cinematography, sound and performances.
Whether you are an emerging filmmaker with a story to tell or an established creative with a film you are proud of, this is your opportunity to put your work in the spotlight.
The Best of Zimbabwean Short Film
This year’s theme invites filmmakers to showcase the richness of Zimbabwean cinema in its many forms.
A memorable film is about more than just the story. It is also about the image, the sound, the performance and the creative choices that bring that story to life. Bioskop! 2026 recognises this breadth of filmmaking talent through six competition categories.
Competition categories
🎞️ Best Narrative
For an outstanding fictional or scripted short film.
🎥 Best Documentary
For a compelling non-fiction short that demonstrates strong storytelling and engagement with its subject.
🔊 Best Sound Editing
Recognising exceptional use and crafting of sound in a short film.
📷 Best Cinematography
Celebrating outstanding visual storytelling, camera work, composition and image-making.
🎭 Best Actor / Actress
Recognising a standout performance that contributes significantly to a film’s storytelling.
🌍 Best Diaspora Narrative
For an outstanding narrative short film by a Zimbabwean filmmaker or one rooted in the Zimbabwean diaspora experience.
Trophies will be awarded across all competition categories, with cash prizes presented to the winners.
Who can apply?
The competition is open to filmmakers of Zimbabwean heritage who are based, living or working in Zimbabwe or in any European or African country.
Participating filmmakers who have family members involved in organising or judging the competition must disclose this relationship to the Festival Coordinators. Jury members related to a participating filmmaker will not adjudicate in that filmmaker’s category, helping to ensure a transparent and fair adjudication process. Failure to disclose such a relationship may result in disqualification.
Submit your film
If you have a short film that you believe deserves to be seen, now is the time to enter.
Bring your story. Bring your vision. Bring your best.
Submission deadline: 19 October 2026, 11:59 PM CAT
🎬 Submit your film via FilmFreeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/TheEuropeanFilmFestivalZimbabwe
Filmmakers are encouraged to submit ahead of the deadline and to share the call with fellow creatives who should be part of this year’s competition.
Celebrating Zimbabwean cinema
Bioskop! forms part of the European Film Festival Zimbabwe, a cultural initiative of the European Union that has evolved into a platform celebrating both European and African cinema while supporting the development of Zimbabwe’s local film industry.
Over the years, the European Film Festival has supported Zimbabwean filmmakers through film screenings, professional development opportunities, workshops, masterclasses and the Bioskop! Short Film Competition. The festival creates space for filmmakers, audiences, cultural practitioners and film enthusiasts to connect through cinema.
In 2026, the European Film Festival is entering a new chapter, with a stronger focus on young audiences and university students. In partnership with the University of Zimbabwe, the festival is being developed around film, education, culture and youth engagement, with screenings, discussions, workshops, masterclasses and opportunities for emerging creatives to engage with film professionals.
Further details on the 2026 European Film Festival programme will be announced separately.
Be part of Bioskop! 2026
Zimbabwe has stories to tell, and filmmakers have countless ways of bringing those stories to life.
If you have a film, enter it. If you know a filmmaker, share this call with them.
Bioskop! 2026 – The Best of Zimbabwean Short Film.
🎬 Bring your story. Bring your vision. Bring your best.
Deadline: 19 October 2026, 11:59 PM CAT
Submit via FilmFreeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/TheEuropeanFilmFestivalZimbabwe