About Us
STIFF is Croatia’s first International Film Festival dedicated entirely to student and debutant films. Established by the SKC Rijeka (Student Cultural Center) and Filmaktiv Association – the purpose of the festival is to strengthen the student film and video industry by allowing an insight into the work of other fellow student filmmakers, encouraging the development of new ideas, and establishing international collaborations in the field of media production.
During ten successful years, the festival screened over 550 most recent student fiction, documentary, animated, and experimental films from all around the world. STIFF’s main goal is to present the best of student film production from all around the world and help them get their audiences. It strives to educate audiences about the quality of work of emerging filmmakers.
The Student International Film Festival – STIFF – is supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, City of Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Rijeka City Tourist Board, Serbian National Council, Council of the Serbian National Minority and Goethe-Institut Kroatien.
The Festival is taking place at the Art-kino cinema.
STIFF FILM CIRCLE
THE STIFF FILM CIRCLE is a discursive segment of the Student International Film Festival. Aside from reinforcing the professional growth of young film lovers, it also educates and raises future festival audiences.
The goal of the STIFF FILM CIRCLE is to open the public space towards a dialogue that extends outside the institutions i.e. the “safe zone” of the University – and to create a fresh, neutral space for learning through practice, communication and cooperation.
Field education
Through educational programs titled Education in the Field, the STIFF festival team guides students through specific aspects of festival organization. Projects such as PR, social media management, film subtitling in cinemas, translation, design, hospitality and guest relations at festivals, as well as public presentations — all within the festival’s volunteer programs — give students the opportunity to connect, have fun, learn new skills, and truly make the festival their own. Since STIFF’s founding, more than 300 students have taken part in this form of informal education.
STIFF ON THE ROAD
Aside from the programme happenings during the festival dates, STIFF is also busy during the year, travelling and collaborating with other festivals, universities and organizations as a part of a programme STIFF ON THE ROAD. This travelling programme of selected films previously screened on the festival, has a goal to strengthen festival’s many connections, promote it and inspire a dialogue on contemporary events – while at the same time raising awareness about student film as such. In the past four years, STIFF has visited Pula and Zagreb, Varaždin, Novigrad, Beograd, Bonn, Edinburgh, Reims..
If you would like to host the STIFF ON THE ROAD screening feel free to contact us during the year. Our travelling team is always ready to add another stop to their journey!