Programme 2026

Business Program
Cultural Program
Educational Program
Schedule

Opening Film

The Man Who Saw the Bear

France / 2025 / 89 min.

Director: Pierre Richard

International Competition

The main competition of the Spirit of Fire festival. Each year it features at least six feature films (including at least one Russian film). According to the competition rules, these must be the director's first or second feature-length work in narrative cinema. Competition films have not been previously shown in Russia. Awards: Golden Taiga, Silver Taiga, and Bronze Taiga.

Jury

Goran Radovanović

Lu Wei

Ndamo Damarise

Jaime Cristian Noguera Martín

Yuliana Slascheva

Russian Competition

For a long time, the Russian debut program developed alongside the main international competition of the Spirit of Fire. Now it is a separate competition featuring at least six feature films, each being the director's first work. Competition films have not been previously shown in Russia. Awards: Golden Taiga by audience vote, jury prizes for best director, actor, actress, cinematographer and composer, and a special prize for preserving cultural traditions from Gazprom Neft.

Jury

Andrei Proshkin

Evgeny Margulis

Leonid Yarmolnik

Maria Solovyova

Short Film Competition

The competition features directors for whom this is their first or second work in narrative cinema, with film duration not exceeding 20 minutes. For the winners, selected by a jury of film scholars and critics, separate awards are provided: Golden Taiga — Short Film and Silver Taiga — Short Film.

Jury

ANDREI APOSTOLOV

ZAKA ABDRAKHMANOVA

SOFIA LEBEDEVA

"Your Movie" Competition

"Your Movie" is nearly as old as the Spirit of Fire itself. Starting in the 2000s as a children's and youth film club at the festival, "Your Movie" has grown into a full-fledged international competition program. It features international and Russian premieres of films from around the world made for audiences aged 6 to 16.

Animation Program from the Cuban Republic

Work-in-progress

Work-in-Progress is a format where directors and producers present unfinished films for peer review. Beyond professional discussion, many projects receive partnership support during post-production and distribution, as well as promising contacts beneficial to the future film's fate. This is the second time it is held at the Spirit of Fire.