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International Dostoevsky Society
Second International Video Competition, 2025–2026
“5-Minute Dostoevsky”
The International Dostoevsky Society (IDS) is delighted to announce the call for its second Video Competition, open to professional and amateur filmmakers worldwide. The theme for 2025-26 is “5-minute Dostoevsky” and the deadline for submission is April 1, 2026. The entry form, as well as information about formal specifications and prizes can be found here (and below).
Reflections on “5-Minute Demons”
The IDS’s first International Dostoevsky Video Competition was held in honor of the Bicentennial of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s birth, the 150th anniversary of the novel Demons (Devils or The Possessed), the 50th anniversary of The International Dostoevsky Society, and the XVIII International Dostoevsky Symposium, held in Nagoya, Japan in August 2023.
The inaugural competition was entitled “5-Minute Demons.” Conceived as a novel experiment, we truly did not know what to expect and were astonished by the results. Eight films from 6 countries – including China, the United States, Germany, Russia, Brazil, and Bulgaria – were submitted for consideration by amateur filmmakers (some of whom belonged to student collectives). The jury was impressed by the professional conceptual and technical quality of the films, all of which offered original interpretations of motifs from Demons. The Grand Prize winner was Les Gents by Dmytro Memari Fard (Dresden, Germany); the film was a striking representation of Kirillov’s suicide. Our jury also selected two finalists, which included the theatrical Matryosha’s Song by Ivan Dobchev, Dimitar Sardzhev, and Kiril Prodanov (Sofia, Bulgaria), and the rhythmic Buktreyler «Besy» by Anna Dubrovina and Anastasiia Zhurba (Barnaul, Russia).
All of the films submitted for consideration remain available on our open-access IDS YouTube Channel.
“5-Minute Dostoevsky”
For our second Video Competition, the IDS has decided to invite films that capture a wider range of topics. Participants are free to interpret all manner of themes and motifs from the life, work, and legacy of Fyodor Dostoevsky. The only strict limitation that remains is length: submissions must be 5 minutes.
Details
Topic: A video in any genre related to Dostoevsky’s life, works, or themes.
Length: No longer than 5 minutes.
Language: Videos may be in any language or even wordless, but must include subtitles in English, Russian, or Spanish.
Jury: Composed of the IDS Board of Directors and invited specialists.
Format: Upload the video to YouTube or Vimeo. Provide the link and password for access (see the application form for details). Submit this information to: dostoevsky-studies@ateneo.univr.it.
Deadline for submissions: April 1, 2026.
Winner announced: by May 15, 2026.
Prizes
Prizes will include:
- An authentic Argentine poncho featuring the original logo “Dostoevsky – XIX Symposium IDS,” designed by artist Darya Serebryakova.
- Winner’s Certificate.
- Premiere screening of the film at the XIX IDS Symposium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 16–19, 2026.
- A three-year membership in IDS.
- Two nights of hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires, plus an invitation to the Symposium’s closing dinner.
Furthermore, the winning video and runners-up will be featured on the IDS YouTube channel and promoted worldwide.