THIS WEEKEND AT SFF2026: A focus on freedom of speech, European short films, psychological dramas and regional collaborations
Skopje, 6 November 2026 – Skopje Film Festival 2026 brings a rich and exciting weekend of cinema. Saturday’s programme explores individual freedom, media manipulation and the complexities of the contemporary family, complemented by a selection of outstanding European short films. The programme begins at 13:00 with a special screening of five EFA Shorts. At 17:00, Frosina Cinema will screen the French drama Forsaken, directed by Vincent Garenq, inspired by the tragic real-life case of teacher Samuel Paty and the dangers of online hate campaigns. At 19:00, Gábor Holtai’s Hungarian psychological thriller Feels Like Home explores personal identity and survival through a tense kidnapping story. At 21:00, the Focus programme presents Life in a Beat by Amerissa Basta, a co-production between Greece, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Montenegro and France, telling an authentic story about the choices and struggles of a young woman in contemporary Athens.
Sunday’s programme at Skopje Film Festival 2026 offers a rich selection of films from Germany, the Philippines and the region. It begins at 17:00 with Susanne Heinrich’s unconventional German-French musical comedy The Miserable Mother, which uses surreal humour to examine the pressures of motherhood and contemporary society. At 19:00, Lawrence Fajardo’s drama Silenced Nights (Philippines/France/Taiwan) follows intertwined lives to portray institutional silence and the struggle for justice during Manila’s war on drugs. The evening concludes at 21:00 with the Focus programme screening of Pavle Vučković’s psychological thriller Frost (Serbia/UK/North Macedonia/Croatia/Montenegro), in which a cast led by Kamka Tocinovski takes audiences through an investigation steeped in pagan myths and black magic.
Tickets are available through the MK Tickets sales network. For the full festival programme, further information and updates on upcoming activities, visit sff.mk or follow the festival’s official social media accounts.
About the Skopje Film Festival
Founded in 1998, the Skopje Film Festival has spent decades developing film culture and connecting local audiences with contemporary world cinema. As an established brand and an important platform for auteur cinema and new artistic expression, the festival attracts between 6,000 and 10,000 visitors annually, as well as numerous local and international film professionals.
This year, the festival enters a phase of transformation and modernisation of its programme structure and visual identity. With a new international festival council and a team of distinguished professionals from Europe and around the world, the Skopje Film Festival is positioning itself as a leading cultural force in the region and one of the key pillars of the Skopje – European Capital of Culture 2028 project.
The festival is held under the patronage of the City of Skopje, with A1 Macedonia as its partner. SFF2026 is supported by Titan USJE, Dalekovod, EVN, Gemak, Schweppes, Alchemist, Peyrassol, Valdo, AGNA Skopje, Gorska Voda, Vertigo, AVC Group, DVD Plus, Nestlé, DoubleTree by Hilton Skopje, Marriott Skopje, Delfino Group and Sixt.
This year, the festival takes place at two venues: the Macedonian National Theatre (MNT) and the Youth Cultural Centre (MKC).
Official website: www.sff.mk
Official social media accounts: Facebook: SkopjeFilmFestival | Instagram: skopjefilmfestival | TikTok: skopjefilmfestival | LinkedIn: skopje-film-festival | YouTube: @Skopje.Film.Festival
