Košice – [18 August 2026] – Košice International Film Festival has become a member of the prestigious Film Festival Alliance (FFA), an international organisation connecting film festivals, festival professionals and others working in independent film culture. The festival joins a community that includes dozens of leading festivals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and beyond.

Members of Film Festival Alliance include Sundance Film Festival, one of the world's most influential independent film festivals. A significant proportion of its member festivals also hold Academy Award®-qualifying or BAFTA-qualifying status. Academy Award®-qualifying members include Sundance, Aspen Shortsfest, Chicago International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival, among many others. British members include Manchester Film Festival and Bolton International Film Festival, both BAFTA-qualifying festivals, as well as Encounters Film Festival, which qualifies films for the European Film Awards.

What Is Film Festival Alliance?

Film Festival Alliance grew out of a need to connect festival organisers, share experience and establish more professional, sustainable and equitable conditions for festivals and filmmakers alike. Its origins date back to 2010, when the initiative began taking shape through connections and discussions among festival professionals at Sundance Film Festival. In 2015, it formally adopted the name Film Festival Alliance.

Today, FFA's work centres on three pillars: education, advocacy and community building. Members gain access to professional resources, training, research, discussions and connections with fellow festival professionals. The organisation also seeks to support a sustainable and inclusive film exhibition ecosystem, providing a space for festivals to share their experiences and improve their practices.

Professional and ethical standards in festival practice are another important part of FFA's philosophy. The organisation promotes transparent submission processes, clear communication with filmmakers, fair and ethical screening practices, accessible festival information and a responsible approach to working with filmmakers.

"We are very pleased that Košice International Film Festival has become a member of Film Festival Alliance. We see this as meaningful recognition of our work so far, as well as a responsibility for the future. We are particularly pleased to join a community of festivals with such a significant place in world cinema, from Sundance to many other Academy Award®- and BAFTA-qualifying festivals. For us, it also affirms that a festival from Košice can be a relevant partner within the international festival community," says Erik Jasaň, founder of Košice International Film Festival.

For Košice International Film Festival, FFA membership represents international recognition and, above all, a commitment to developing the festival in line with professional standards and contributing to a wider community of festivals supporting independent cinema.

"We are also pleased with the geographical significance of this step. We firmly believe that Košice and eastern Slovakia have an established place on the European film map. FFA membership allows us to join the international conversation about the future of film festivals: how they can become more open, professional and sustainable, and how they can better serve filmmakers and audiences alike."

Joining Film Festival Alliance marks another step in Košice International Film Festival's ambition to build a festival with a strong international reach and connect eastern Slovakia with the global film community.

Košice International Film Festival is the first film festival from Eastern Europe to become a member of Film Festival Alliance.
We look forward to welcoming audiences to Kino Úsmev in Košice from 11 to 13 December.