The Local Heroes section provides filmmakers from the Euregio Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino region with a platform to showcase their work. Eligible are films directed, produced, or co-produced by individuals born or residing in one of the three Euregio territories, or by production companies based there.
“I envision the BFFB program as a lively structure in which the various sections engage in dialogue with each other,” explains Bugno. “Local Heroes is our view of the creative territory connected to the world—a place for exchange, joy in filmmaking, and curiosity for stories brought to life through images.”
Selected films can also compete again for the IDM Film & Music Commission South Tyrol Award, which carries a total prize of €3,000: €2,000 for the best feature film and €1,000 for the best short film.
The BFFB is also renewing the “FILMCLUB Jury” project. This jury of the FILMCLUB (the festival organizer) will once again consist of seven members, selected through a public call by the festival’s artistic direction.
Supported by a renowned professional from the film industry, the jury’s task is to award the two IDM Film & Music Commission South Tyrol Awards: Best Short Film and Best Feature Film.
For the sixth time, the festival is dedicating the Small Languages DOC section to the cinematic expressions of linguistic minorities. In collaboration with the Free University of Bolzano and the association La Fournaise, an interdisciplinary team of linguists, documentary filmmakers, and geographers curates this unique program.
Accepted are documentary forms, fictional works, and hybrid formats from around the world that deal with minority languages or the cultural expressions of linguistic communities.
Selected works can be eligible for various cross-sectional awards, including the ZeLIG Prize, the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Prize, the Euregio Young Jury Prize, and the IDM Film & Music Commission Award.
Films can be submitted until December 15, 2025, via the FilmFreeway platform: Piccole Lingue DOC | Local Heroes.
Further information and full submission rules: Piccole Lingue DOC | Local Heroes.
