This program is the Spirit of Fire main competition. It presents no fewer than six feature-length films (including at least one Russian film) each year.
According to the competition regulations, the films must be the director's first or second narrative feature-length works. Films in competition should have not previously been screened in Russia. In 2023, seven films from Russia, Argentina, China, France, India, Iran, and Japan participated in the international competition. Some of the films have been internationally acclaimed.