The 21^st annual South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) will open April 29 with Ioana Mischie’s feature debut Catane, a comedy-romance set in Romania described as “a modern-day fairytale, where hapless bureaucrats eventually find their groove.”

SEEfest, co-presented by ELMA (foundation for European Languages and Movies in America), runs from April 29-May 6 in Los Angeles. Journalist and entrepreneur Vera Mijojlić, a native of Sarajevo, founded the festival in 2006 to bring the best of South and Eastern European fiction and nonfiction cinema to the U.S. Bulgarian American actress and entertainer Irina Maleeva, whose credits include films with Fellini and Orson Welles and the upcoming comedy Sunny’s Closet, serves as the festival’s honorary chair.

Among other highlights of the 2026 SEEfest program are Croatian narrative feature Honey Bunny, from director Igor Jelinovic, “a marvelous character study of toxic family dynamics worthy of Pirandello.” Fantasy, from Slovenian director Katarina Resek, aka Kukla, won the 2026 Trieste Film Festival’s Award (Grand Prix) for Best Feature Film and Cineuropa Award, and five awards at the Slovene Film Festival in Portorož, Slovenia.

Scroll for the full SEEfest lineup.

On the documentary side, the festival will showcase Militantropos, directed by the trio of Alina Gorlova, Simon Mozgovyi, and Yelizaveta Smit, a Directors Fortnight selection at Cannes last year. The nonfiction feature “explores the psychological and social transformation of individuals living through the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

The Beauty Of The Donkey, a Kosovo-Swiss production directed by Dea Gjinovci, “blends cinéma du réel with magical realism portraying a community grappling with memory and loss.” Also in the doc lineup: A State Film, from Albanian Italian filmmaker Roland Sejko, which premiered at the Giornate degli Autori in Venice last year. The archival film unfolds with no narration, “relying entirely on the power of images to tell the story of a succession of ‘eternal friendships’ that all ended up terminated in the reign of Enver Hoxha, leading to the ultimate isolation of [Albania].”

SEEfest presents awards in seven juried categories. It also features a robust Industry program, including the SEEfest Project Accelerator, “a 2-week-long opportunity for filmmakers to present their projects in development.”

PROGRAM LINE-UP

FEATURE FILMS 2026 

Catane  – Romania 
Director: Ioana Mischie 
In the remote Romanian village of Catane, a community of villagers, long surviving on disability benefits obtained through ambiguous means, faces exposure when a local inquiry descends. What unfolds is not a story of deception, but of unexpected ingenuity. As the villagers band together under pressure, they craft a disarmingly poetic and humorous response to the absurdities of a broken system. In reinventing their way of life, they reveal not only a means of survival—but a radical model of communal resilience in a fractured world.

Černák – Slovakia, Czech Republic

Director: Jakub Kroner 

The Černák’s group battles rival gangs and politicians in the bloody conclusion to Miki Černák’s reign as the boss of all bosses.

Comatogen – Romania

Director: Igor Cobileanski 

Alina, a modest nurse supporting her son Radu, tries to rekindle a past love with Pavel, a real estate director. When Radu steals €18,000 from Pavel’s office, relationships and ambitions spiral out of control. The coma of wealthy client Mr. Klauss brings his daughter Mihaela into Alina’s life, offering financial help in exchange for a shocking crime. COMATOGEN reveals the characters’ true moral selves, showing how greed, lies, and desire can drive people to betrayal—and even murder.

Fantasy – Slovenia

Director: Kukla 

Mihrije, Sina and Jasna (early 20s) are best friends who live in Slovenia. They are tomboys and refuse to conform to the conservative system they live in. Their world turns upside down when they meet Fantasy, a transgender woman. Together, they embark on a journey that explores the complexities of gender, desire, and self-discovery.

Father – Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland 

Director: Tereza Nvotová 

A devoted father’s tragic mistake shakes his marriage and leaves him isolated. As guilt and the threat of imprisonment loom, he fights to regain his wife’s trust and rebuild what he’s lost—but can he ever find redemption?

Honey Bunny – Croatia

Director: Igor Jelinović

Tonina, a caring and self-confident accountant, runs her company together with her husband and daughter and pulls all the strings for the family logistics. Along with all her obligations, Tonina is taking care of her demented and bedridden mother. Her younger sister Tajana and her family have a much more easygoing and less ambitious approach to life. The two sisters clash when Tonina secretly buys out a part of their island family house from their cousin Željka, even though the sisters had agreed to buy it together. One year later, Tonina and Tajana try to reconcile for their mother’s birthday, but tensions resurface.

Miki – Slovakia, Czech Republic

Director: Jakub Kroner 

This is the story of a man who returns from abroad to his native village, to a country that is changing rapidly and where new great opportunities are opening up, including in the field of organized crime. Miki, originally a bus driver, gradually discovers and activates the abilities within himself to build one of the largest and most feared mafia groups in the country.

Panopticon – Georgia

Director: George Sikharulidze

After his father abandons him to become an Orthodox monk, Sandro struggles to reconcile his duty to God and his awakening sexuality, which manifests in uncontrollable ways and leads him to unhealthy behavior, as he searches for meaning and belonging in the turbulent society of post-Soviet Georgia.

The Flying Meatball Maker – Turkey

Director: Rezan Yeşilbaş 

In the streets of Diyarbakir, a middle-aged man by the name Kadir, is standing at his counter day in, day out, selling meatball sandwiches. He has a family to feed and this is how he ended up making a living. However, Kadir has his head in the clouds – literally. He has one obsession in life; he wants to fly. Kadir’s dream of flying clashes with common sense of his surroundings who find it utterly absurd and even provoking. His quest to fly causes troubles in his family, condemnation from the conservative society and even warnings from the security personnel in the city as flying in Diyarbakir is a security concern for the state. None of these obstacles does stop Kadir from trying to achieve his dream, and against all odds, Kadir succeeds in becoming the owner of a powered parachute. While Kadir insist on living out his dream, his wife Azize is obliged to keep the household together and secure a good future for her children. This does over time cause increasing tensions between the two of them and Azize wants Kadir to show the family the same engagement he’s devoted to his quest to fly. Azize still shows patience and refrains from doing anything that would spoil her relationship with Kadir, but she also subtly undermines and obstructs his efforts to fly. The discontent expressed by the extended family only adds to the rising tensions. But Kadir still insists on taking flight.

Our Father –  Serbia, Italy, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Director: Goran Stanković

A drug addict is brought for rehab treatment at an isolated monastery commune run very strictly by an authoritative priest. After initial resistance to the treatment, the newcomer starts accepting responsibilities and gradually becomes the right-hand man of the priest. When the priest takes his stringent methods too far, the existence of the commune is called into question. A powerfully accurate depiction of the essence of manipulation tactics; in an environment ruled by toxic masculinity, it’s easy to lose sense of self and become a different person. The moral complexities of the story – based on true events – are particularly well underlined by the exacting visual style and strong performances.

DOCUMENTARIES

Militantropos – Austria, Ukraine, France
Directors: Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova, Simon Mozgovyi

Militantropos captures the human condition through the fractured realities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film pieces together everyday lives transformed by war – those who flee, those who lose everything, and those who stay to resist and fight – tracing both the instinct to survive and the need for closeness.

9-Month Contract – Georgia

Director: Ketevan Vashagashvili

In Tbilisi, Zhanaa, homeless mother, resorts to surrogacy to provide a safe life for her teenage daughter, Elene. While trying to keep her pregnancies hidden from Elene, Zhana’s financial struggles persist. With no proper regulations in place, she pushes her body to the extreme through multiple childbirths, taking a dangerous toll on her organs and risking her life. As Zhana’s health declines, Elene matures and eventually confronts her mother about her choices and their consequences. Through the director’s decade-long friendship with the duo, the film explores the evolving dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship and raises questions about the extent of a mother’s sacrifice.

A State Film -Italy

Director: Roland Sejko 

A journey through the images of a regime that made cinema an instrument of power. A story of communist Albania constructed exclusively through propaganda film archives and, for the first time, unpublished material from Enver Hoxha’s private film archive. Since the end of the Second World War and for over forty years, the history of Albania has been inextricably intertwined with that of a single man. Enver Hoxha led the country through ephemeral alliances and radical ruptures, leading it to total isolation.

Electing Ms Santa – Moldova/Romania

Director: Raisa Răzmeriță

Politics in Moldova is no longer just a man’s game – at least not in Elena’s village. By launching a bold bid for local office, 42-year-old Elena becomes the uncomfortable face of change. Her decision to run is more than just a political campaign; it is the story of a woman daring to dismantle patriarchal boundaries while her entire nation stands on the threshold of historic transformation, edging closer to the European Union.

My Dear Theo – Poland/Ukraine

Director: Alisa Kovalenko

A deeply personal documentary by Alisa Kovalenko, who combines her perspectives as a mother, soldier, and filmmaker. The film spans from early spring to summer 2022, capturing the routine, waiting, and sudden violence of life in the trenches. Through Alisa’s camera, viewers experience the stark reality of the Ukrainian frontline, from the quiet moments of reflection to the chaos of missile strikes. Her letters to her son Theo provide an emotional core, exploring themes of love, legacy, and the personal cost of war. By focusing on her relationships with comrades and the inner turmoil of conflict, My Dear Theo offers a unique, intimate view of war that transcends traditional documentary storytelling.

My Friend Sely – Croatia

Director: Maja Alibegović

The filmmaker returns to Slovenia to capture a portrait of an inspiring female figure in her life. Revisiting her homeland means confronting a lifelong sense of displacement. An unconventional friendship with the rebellious, daring huntress Sely supports her journey to self-realisation and acceptance. Sely embodies resilience against prejudice as her struggle for equality and respect as an immigrant woman paved the way for future generations. A dreamlike journey through memories blends the author’s contemporary Super 8mm visuals and Sely’s archival footage, highlighting themes such as female empowerment, intergenerational friendship, and diversity.

The Beauty of the Donkey – Switzerland, Kosovo

Director: Dea Gjinovci

A lyrical hybrid documentary tracing a daughter’s journey to reconnect with her father’s lost homeland. After sixty years in exile, Asllan returns with his daughter, Dea, to Makermal, the Kosovar village he once called home. They set out to revive his idyllic childhood memories, working with villagers to reconstruct a world erased by war. As playful re-enactments give way to haunting revelations, Dea and Asllan confront the painful disappearance of a beloved matriarch and the collective scars of a community grappling with memory and loss. The film becomes a moving meditation on the fragile architecture of remembrance, blending cinéma du réel with magical realism.

Truth Or Dare – Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Norway

Director: Tonislav Hristov 

A documentary about how fake news is being used to influence political and cultural opinions in order to destabilize Europe. Genka is a Bulgarian investigative journalist with 20 years of experience. Her car has been burned down twice, and her life has been threatened. Ivan is an engineer who spreads and manufactures conservative and anti-EU fake news. As Europe is experiencing unseen polarisation, Genka and Ivan are running their agendas and must face each other.

SHORT FICTION 

Hi Mom, It’s Me Lou Lou – Turkey 

Director: Atakan Yilmaz

The Place Under The Sun – Moldova

Director: Vlad Bolgarin

Eraserhead in a Knitted Shopping Bag – Bulgaria

Director: Lili Koss

La Première Image -Greece/France

Director: Olia Verriopoulou

The Reporter – Poland/Ukraine

Director: Jan Górecki

The Road Home – Romania

Director: Marian Fărcuț

SHORT DOCS

3cm of Complexity – Austria, Greece

Director: Anna Vasof

Around The Clock – Croatia

Director: Marina Musulin

Beware of the Southern Stars – Greece

Director: Christos Karteris

Hollowgram – Romania/US

Director: Laura Iancu

I believe the Portrait Saved Me – Kosovo/Netherlands

Director: Alban Muja

Palaces of Memory – Azerbaijan

Director: Matlab Mukhtarov

Self-Preserving Nudity – Ukraine, Ireland

Director: Nelly Shylova

SHORT ANIMATION 

Disturbia – Bulgaria

Director: Mira Yankova

Fačuk – Croatia, Slovenia

Director: Maida Srabovic

How – Croatia

Director:  Marko Meštrović

Silent Cinema – North Macedonia

Director:  Krste Gospodinovski

How smart are crows? -Greece, Netherlands, United States

Director: Irida Zhonga

Sailboat at the End of the Street – Croatia

Director: Lucía Aimara Borjas

The Shadow – Croatia

Director:  Petra Balekić

Vanja & Vanja – Croatia

Director:  Danijel Žeželj