Documentary film festival fARAD returns to Arad in October with new Romanian short film competition

The international documentary film festival fARAD is returning to Arad, western Romania, this autumn for its 12th edition. Running from October 8 to 12, the event will feature five days of screenings and meetings with guests from Romania and abroad, according to the organizers.

For the first time, the festival is introducing a national competition dedicated exclusively to Romanian short documentary films, including hybrid and experimental works, with a maximum duration of 45 minutes. The competition attracted 89 submissions.

The artistic director of fARAD, Dimitris Kerkinos, will select the final program, which will include three screening sessions with filmmakers present for Q&A discussions.

The winning film will receive a prize of EUR 1,000, awarded by a jury of industry professionals. Additionally, a special mention winner will be offered a mentorship session with Dana Bunescu, a renowned Romanian film editor and sound designer.

Alongside the film program, the festival will host the 10th edition of the fARAD Laboratory, a creative development space for emerging documentarians working on projects at various stages. Inspired partly by Sundance and IDFA labs, it offers participants hands-on workshops and targeted feedback.

One project developed in this lab, "Viitor luminos" directed by Andra MacMasters, which premiered at IDFA and won the Debut Award at the 2025 Romanian Film Days at TIFF, will be screened during the festival with the director in attendance.

The theme for the 12th edition of fARAD will be officially announced in early September, alongside the competition lineup, on the festival’s website and social media channels.

Since its launch in 2014, fARAD has aimed to educate audiences through visual storytelling and revive interest in art film.

(Photo source: Facebook/fARAD)