Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival

ULAANBAATAR, October 6, 2026 — The Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival (UBIFF) will be held for the 18th time from October 16 to 22, bringing films selected at major international festivals to Mongolian audiences while creating opportunities for local filmmakers to connect with the global film industry.

Organized by the Arts Council of Mongolia, this year’s festival will take place in Ulaanbaatar from October 16 to 22, with the main screenings held at Tengis Cinema. The program will feature Mongolian films, international cinema, documentaries, a “New Horizon” section dedicated to classic works, and an Industry Day for film professionals.

The opening film will be “Fjord”, directed by Christian Mungiu, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The film is scheduled to screen at Skywing and Tengis Cinema.

UBIFF 2026 will present a total of 18 films, including five selected from 16 entries submitted to the Mongolian film competition for the “Mongolian Film Program.” Participating filmmakers will compete in six categories, with the winners to be announced at the Garuda Awards ceremony on October 22.

The international program includes films from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, Romania, Norway, Japan, China, Finland and Montenegro. Among them are “Fatherland,” directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, who won the Best Director award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival; Asghar Farhadi’s “Parallel Tales,” which competed at Cannes; and “Rose,” which competed for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The festival’s “New Horizon” section aims to introduce Mongolia’s cinematic heritage to a new generation of viewers. This year’s program is dedicated to I. Nyamgavaa, a state-awarded arts figure, theater and film director, and screenwriter. Special screenings of “Precious Treasure” and “The Five Fingers of a Hand” will be held at Tengis Cinema.

UBIFF’s “Industry Day” will also provide Mongolian filmmakers with an opportunity to meet international professionals, exchange experience and explore potential collaborations. This year’s central theme is documentary film. Participants will include Estonian producer Pille Runk, South Korean producer and director Ally Sunhee Han, and Slovak director Tomas Krupa.

This year, UBIFF will also launch the third edition of the FilmNomad international film-development laboratory. Thirty filmmakers will be selected for the program, which will help them develop their projects for international audiences and present them to film funds and distributors. The three leading projects may earn the opportunity to present their work at the Berlinale and Locarno film festivals.

UBIFF is thus developing beyond a film-screening event into a platform connecting Mongolia’s film sector with the international creative and production community. According to the festival’s official information, the event aims to support the growth of Mongolia’s film industry, expand international cooperation and contribute to the development of the arts and culture sector.