Bright Future is our section dedicated to young and emerging film talent with their own style and vision, often presenting their films for the first time on the international film scene.

Bright Future includes the following programmes:

• Tiger Competition

• Ammodo Tiger Short Competition

• Bright Future

• Bright Future Mid-length

• Bright Future Short

Competitions within Bright Future

Tiger Competition

The most prestigious prize of IFFR, the Tiger Award, discovers and raises the profile of up-and-coming filmmakers. As Gerwin Tamsma, section coordinator of Bright Future, notes: "The reason you've never heard about them, is because they're brand new."

Take the winner of 2018 for instance, Cai Chengjie, who quit his job at Chinese state television to film a lyrical and very bold tale about current Chinese society with a strong feminist standpoint. Or how about 2017? After winning the Tiger Award, Sexy Durga by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan went on to make headlines as it wound up in a massive censorship controversy in India – screening the film could supposedly cause "law-and-order problems".

The common factor is: these filmmakers dare to do something new. They push boundaries. And that's why they deserve the spotlight at IFFR. Not just the winner, but all eight world premieres that are selected.

Tip: want to watch films that were selected for our Tiger Competition in previous years? Check out our collection at IFFR Unleashed! For more information about the Tiger Competition and a list of previous winners, click here.

Ammodo Tiger Short Competition

Not just any shorts, but the weird, experimental kind. Some have a bit of a story to them, many don’t. It’s all about form, expression, art. 22 short films vie for three equivalent prizes worth €5,000. For more info on the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition and a list of previous winners, click here.

Bright Future Competition

All debut films within Bright Future that are also a world or international premiere are elligible for the Bright Future Award. For more info on the Bright Future Competition and a list of previous winners, click here.