SUSPENSE
Film Festival
September 12 / Tyumen, Russia
Film Festival
September 12 / Tyumen, Russia
Submissions for the 2026 competition are now open.
SUSPENSE is an international festival of genre cinema. At its core are audience-driven films built on atmosphere, anticipation and precise genre storytelling. We bring together films that do not simply follow genre rules, but use them to hold attention, engage the audience and create a powerful screen experience.
The festival is open to genre and hybrid films of different directions — from classic genres to auteur forms that emerge at their intersection.
The festival is open to genre and hybrid films of different directions — from classic genres to auteur forms that emerge at their intersection.
selection categories.
-
feature
films
01 - short
films02 - series
pilots03 - experimental
films04 - animation &
AI cinema05 - vertical
micro-shorts06
submit on FilmFreeway.
jury.
- Egor Chichkanovdirector, screenwriterlecturer at the Industry FIlm School, author of "Welcome back!", "Ruslan and Lyudmila: A Magical Journey" and other films.
- Evgeny Kolyadintsevdirector, screenwritersenior lecturer at the HSE Film School, author of the horror films "Unafraid", "Red Screen" and other films.
- Alexey Chernikovfilm media creatorcreator of “Fyodor, Bond and Chuk”, a Russian-language media project about cinema and film culture.
- Artem Remizovfilm criticauthor of “Remizorro”, a Russian-language film criticism project covering contemporary and genre cinema.
- Dmitry Sokolovfilm critic, film journalisteditor-in-chief of RussoRosso, one of Russia’s leading horror film media outlets, and contributor to Kinopoisk and other film publications.
faq.
We accept completed feature and short films, series pilots, experimental and animated works, AI-generated films and vertical micro-shorts. The festival is open to different genres and genre combinations - from detective stories, thrillers and science fiction to horror, supernatural films, dark comedy and hybrid forms.
No. Films may be submitted by filmmakers and rights holders from any country. A festival premiere is not required, and there are no restrictions on the year of production. Previous participation in other festivals, public screenings or online availability does not prevent a film from being submitted.
One film is submitted to one main category. If the selected category does not match the format of the work, the Festival Directorate may move the film to a more suitable category at no additional fee.
Submissions are accepted from June 25 to August 25, 2026, through the official festival website and the specified Russian and international platforms. The submission period ends on August 25 at 23:59.
• until July 15 - $8;
• from July 16 to August 5 - $12;
• from August 6 to August 25 - $18.
• from July 16 to August 5 - $12;
• from August 6 to August 25 - $18.
No. After submitting a film, no additional mandatory fees are charged for participation in the competition or in-person program, finalist status or receiving an award.
Selection results will be sent no later than August 31, 2026, to the email address specified in the submission form or through the submission platform.
The main festival event and awards ceremony will take place on September 12, 2026, in Tyumen, Russia. Personal attendance by nominees and winners is not required.
festival partners.
