“Documentary film remains a source of clarity and truth, and the festival is an occasion to come together to watch the stories that matter - to reflect collectively and to equip ourselves with a deeper understanding of the world around us,” said Dumitru Budrala, founding director of Astra Film Festival.
The films in the AFF 2025 Official Selection will compete in five competitive sections: Romania, Eastern Europe, Emerging Voices, DocSchool, and, new to this edition, DocShorts. They are also grouped into nine thematic sections: Woman/Mother – At What Cost?, #Occident – A Critical Perspective, Faces of Dictatorship, On Both Sides of the Bloody Barricade, The Crisis of Masculinity, Art – A Tool for Self-Exploration and Healing, The New Wave of the Far Right, Becoming an Adult, Becoming a Parent?, and When the Press Turns into a Fake News Factory.
Early bird passes are already available here: https://astrafilm.ro/en/tickets-en/
Extended to nine days and spanning two weekends, this year’s edition is a record-breaking one. Moreover, two-thirds of the films will be available to stream online across Romania for two weeks immediately after the Awards Gala, giving audiences the chance to delve into one of the most comprehensive selections in the festival’s 32-year history.
The festival’s most beloved program for children and teenagers, Astra Film Junior, the most complex educational initiative in Romania based on documentary film, will also return this year. The professional program dedicated to the documentary film industry will be presented in Sibiu in partnership with Ex Oriente. Dozens of professionals from across Europe will take part, alongside a strong academic component through the participation of selected students from European universities (DocStudentHub, organized in partnership with UNATC).
