Regulations of the XXIV International Film Debut Festival "Spirit of Fire"
1. General Provisions
The XXIV International Film Debut Festival "Spirit of Fire" (hereinafter — the Festival) is a public cultural event held in accordance with these Regulations, featuring public screenings of specially selected films, as well as cultural, educational, and business programs.
The Festival's main program consists of competitive and non-competitive film screening programs.
The Festival is held annually by the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra (hereinafter — the Autonomous Okrug).
The supreme collective body of the Festival is the Organizing Committee. The organizer of the Festival is the Department of Culture of the Autonomous Okrug. The powers of the Organizing Committee, the Organizer, the President, the Vice-President, and the Executive Directorate are exercised in accordance with Decree No. 139-p of April 29, 2011, of the Government of the Autonomous Okrug "On the International Film Debut Festival 'Spirit of Fire'."
2. Purpose and Objectives of the Festival
The Festival serves as a platform for screening films by emerging and established directors, with the aim of drawing attention to debut cinema and discovering new talent.
The Festival's objectives include:
fostering conditions for the development of well-rounded individuals, international cultural ties, cultural diversity, and introducing audiences to the best works of world cinema;
discovering and supporting talented debut filmmakers through competition;
promoting the development of creative industries and the integration of Russian debut cinema into the global filmmaking process;
creating intangible cultural heritage;
promoting the Festival in the media at local, macroregional, national, and international levels;
contributing to the development of entrepreneurial, cultural, and tourism potential;
attracting mass audiences to modern cinemas.
3. Competition Programs
The international (main) competition of the Festival features no fewer than six feature-length films, including at least one national film, meeting the following requirements:
the film must be the director's first or second feature-length work in narrative cinema;
preference is given to films that have not been previously publicly screened in the Russian Federation;
preference is given to films in DCP format in the original language with English subtitles, if the original language is not English;
participation in the international competition requires the mandatory presence of the director and/or lead actor. If the director and/or lead actor cannot attend the Festival, the Executive Directorate reserves the right to include the film in the competition if it is represented by a leading member of the creative crew, or by the director and/or lead actor remotely through specially organized video calls, conferences, or applications available to professional and general audiences.
The "Russian Debuts" competition features no fewer than six works by directors in the field of feature-length narrative, documentary, or animated cinema, or series (at least 2 episodes). Preference is given to first works. Screening format: DCP.
The "Debut — Short Film" competition features no more than eighteen narrative short films, up to 30 minutes in length.
The "Your Cinema" competition program for children and family viewing features no fewer than six feature-length films.
The "Work-in-Progress" competition program features no fewer than 6 projects that are the first or second work by directors in the field of feature-length cinema (animated, narrative, documentary, experimental) currently in production. Projects must not have support from platforms or distribution companies. Participation requires showing at least 3 minutes of footage or a trailer of equivalent length.
Films completed no earlier than January 1, 2025, are eligible for the XXIV Festival's competition programs.
Retrospective screenings, public lectures, and master classes by Festival participants are planned.
Screening materials (films) may be submitted via the internet or on physical media (hard drive). The physical media containing competition films that pass official selection will be returned to the owner.
The main events (including competitive, non-competitive, business, special, educational, and cultural programs) of the Festival will take place in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk, and by decision of the Organizing Committee may also be held partially in other cities of the Autonomous Okrug and online on the Festival's official website and social media pages from March 12 to 16, 2026.
The traveling program "Your Cinema" will take place in the municipalities of the Autonomous Okrug from March 10 to 16, 2026.
The traveling program "Echo of the XXIV Spirit of Fire Festival" will take place in Moscow (March 2026), Saint Petersburg (June 2026), Tyumen (Q2 2026), and Omsk (Q4 2026).
The traveling program "Presentation of the XXIV Spirit of Fire Festival" will take place in Germany (February 2026).
4. Jury
The International Jury of the Festival consists of the Chairperson and jury members — renowned masters of world cinema — and evaluates films in the international competition program.
The Grand Russian Jury of the Festival consists of Russian filmmakers, including a director, cinematographer, and composer, and may also include actors, screenwriters, producers, and representatives of other film professions. It evaluates films in the Russian competition program.
The "Debut — Short Film" competition jury may consist of film scholars, critics, producers, directors, or other film professionals.
The "Work-in-Progress" competition jury may consist of producers, directors, film critics, and representatives of platforms, funds, and distribution companies.
5. Prize Fund and Festival Nominations
The following prizes are awarded at the conclusion of the Festival:
5.1. International Competition:
5.1.1. Grand Prize "Golden Taiga" — for the best debut film, cash prize of 1,428,572 rubles (including 30% personal income tax);
5.1.2. Prize "Silver Taiga" — for a debut film, cash prize of 571,429 rubles (including 30% personal income tax);
5.1.3. Prize "Bronze Taiga" — for a debut film, cash prize of 285,714 rubles (including 30% personal income tax);
5.1.4. Prize of the Festival's Communications Partner, the Roscongress Foundation, to the director of a film in the international competition program "Soul of Russia. World Cinema" for preserving traditional spiritual values in the world, cash prize of 1,142,857 rubles (including 30% personal income tax).
5.2. Russian Debuts Competition:
5.2.1. Audience Award — "Flowers of Taiga Hope," awarded by audience vote, cash prize of 172,414 rubles (including 13% personal income tax);
5.2.2. The following prizes are awarded by the Grand Russian Jury:
5.2.2.1. Sergei Solovyov Prize "Golden Taiga" for the best Russian debut film, cash prize of 804,598 rubles (including 13% personal income tax);
5.2.2.2. Alexander Abdulov Prize "For Best Male Performance in a Russian Debut Film";
5.2.2.3. Alexander Abdulov Prize "For Best Female Performance in a Russian Debut Film";
5.2.2.4. P.T. Lebeshev Prize "For Best Cinematography," provided by the Cinematographers' Guild;
5.2.2.5. Prize "Silver Rose" to a debut director for the best use of music in a film.
5.2.3. Prize of the Festival's General Partner, Gazprom Neft PJSC, to a debut director in the Russian competition program "For Preserving Cultural Traditions," cash prize of 919,540 rubles (including 13% personal income tax);
5.3. "Debut — Short Film" Competition:
5.3.1. Prize "Little Golden Taiga — Short Film";
5.3.2. Prize "Little Silver Taiga — Short Film".
5.4. "Your Cinema" Competition Program:
5.4.1. Prize "Little Bronze Taiga".
5.5. Special "Work-in-Progress" Competition for projects in production, under the "Native Cities" social investment program of Gazprom Neft, cash prize of 1,149,425 rubles (including 13% personal income tax).
5.6. Special Open Microfilm Competition:
5.6.1. The winner of the main category of the special microfilm competition receives a Festival souvenir "Little Bronze Taiga";
5.6.2. The winner of the online public vote in the special microfilm competition receives a Festival souvenir "Silver Brooch";
5.6.3. The winner of the jury deliberation in the special children's category (ages 12–17) of the microfilm competition receives a Festival souvenir "Silver Brooch";
5.6.4. The winner of the online public vote in the special children's category (ages 12–17) of the microfilm competition receives a Festival souvenir "Silver Brooch".
5.6.5. Special Prize of the Russian Federation Commission for UNESCO in the field of natural and cultural heritage preservation, within the microfilm competition — a commemorative souvenir is awarded.
5.7. "Golden Taiga" Prize for contribution to the development of cinema is awarded by the Festival President.
5.8. Festival President's Prize — "Golden Taiga."
Following the Festival results, the winner is awarded a cash prize.
As the winner receives income in monetary form, the Executive Directorate acts as a tax agent and remits personal income tax on the full amount of the prize in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
To receive the cash prize, Festival winners must submit their passport details (copies of passport pages), taxpayer identification number (INN), and bank details for fund transfer by March 30, 2026. Cash prizes are transferred via bank transfer. Cash prizes are paid upon submission of the documents and information specified in the consent form, which is Appendix 2 and 3 to these Regulations.
If the documents (information) specified above are not submitted on time, or are submitted in a form that does not allow determination of their completeness and authenticity (for example, unclear/illegible, with signs of technical interference, or incomplete), the Festival Executive Directorate reserves the right, at its discretion, to declare the winner's Prize unclaimed and not transfer the funds as a Prize.
6. Festival Participants
The total number of Festival participants invited to the main events in Khanty-Mansiysk shall not exceed 350 persons, including members of the volunteer corps.
Non-local Festival participants, interpreters, escorts for jury members and honorary guests, as well as volunteer corps members invited to the main events in Khanty-Mansiysk are accommodated in city hotels and provided with meals during the main Festival events.
Festival participants are provided with transportation to the Festival venue, including air travel.
In the event of an unfavorable epidemiological situation and enhanced preventive measures, a remote participation format may be introduced for guests, participants, jury members, press representatives, and audiences, through online film screenings, event broadcasts, discussions, press conferences, master classes, and the Festival's business and cultural programs on the internet.
7. Festival Venues
Official Festival venues in Khanty-Mansiysk:
— Main auditorium, press hall, transformable hall, organ hall, Amadeus hall of the "Yugra-Classic" Concert and Theater Center, 22 Mira St.;
— Main and small auditoriums of the "College-Boarding School Center of Arts for Gifted Children of the North," 1 Piskunova St.;
— Conference hall of the "Museum of Geology, Oil and Gas," 9 Chekhova St.;
— Branch of the National Center "Russia," 1 Georgy Velichko St.;
— Kultshtab, 18 Karl Marx St.
8. Application Submissions
Applications for film participation in the Festival's competition programs are accepted from November 1, 2025, to January 20, 2026, inclusive (23:59 Moscow time).
The Selection Committee makes its final decision no later than February 15, 2026.
9. Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The grand opening ceremony of the Festival will take place on March 13, 2026, in the main auditorium of the "Yugra-Classic" Concert and Theater Center of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, with live online broadcasts available for viewing on the internet.
The grand closing ceremony of the Festival will take place on March 16, 2026, in the main auditorium of the "Yugra-Classic" Concert and Theater Center of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, with live online broadcasts available for viewing on the internet.
10. Media Coverage
In the lead-up to the Festival, the Executive Directorate organizes:
— a presentation of Festival programs and events in Khanty-Mansiysk;
— a press conference of the Festival organizers and partners in Moscow in February 2026;
— promotional campaigns to publicize Festival events.
Festival events are covered in the media, on the official Festival website https://ugra.world/, and on the websites of the Organizer and main Festival partners. Media journalists undergo accreditation for Festival events.
11. Final Provisions
These Regulations are effective from the date of their approval by the Executive Directorate.