Since 2004, the festival has devoted its program each year in April to idiosyncratic, contemporary and socio-political auteur cinema from Europe. The programme focuses on innovative European films, which reflect current political and social realities of Europe‘s changing societies and gives various perspectives on contemporary European cinema. The festival wants to trace a cinema that tells of regional peculiarities and different conditions for living on this continent. It aims to open up new cinematic territories, which are under-represented in everyday movie business. The Linz festival audience also has an opportunity to see high-quality European productions and cinematic highlights of the past festival season (from A-festivals like the Berlinale, Cannes and Venice) suitably presented on the screen.

CROSSING EUROPE is an attractive and communicative platform for young filmmakers, cineasts and representatives of the film industry, a festival of manageable size, which centers around experiencing film in a relaxed atmosphere.

CROSSING EUROPE Award - Best Fiction Film
€ 10.000
CROSSING EUROPE Audience Award - Best Fiction Film: € 1.000,
CROSSING EUROPE Social Awareness Award - Best Documentary: € 5.000

The festival accepts feature-length films from Europe. A film is considered European, if either director, producer or the story are based in one of the states of the continent. Above that, the film should be made in the language of one of these regions.

Entries must have been produced within 2023/2024 and not previously screened in Austria.
Films must be feature-length (over 60 minutes), otherwise there are no other restrictions.
Documents and Other Requisite Items

Complete an online entry form in English or German language,
Send a copy of film on DVD and a printed out entry form to the festival's address or download work via Internet.
The standard format for features in the competition sections is DCP or 35mm.

Audio language: original

Subtitles language: English