Food is more than what we eat.

It tells the story of places, communities, traditions and the people who keep them alive. Through film, these stories can travel far beyond their place of origin, reaching audiences across cultures and borders.

This is the idea behind Food Film Menu 2026, the international short film competition organised by IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism), which is now open for submissions.

The competition invites filmmakers, storytellers, producers, students, tourism professionals and food enthusiasts to explore the relationship between food, culture, heritage, sustainability and identity through the language of film.

A Platform for Food Stories

Food Film Menu celebrates short films that highlight the many dimensions of food: from traditional recipes and local producers to culinary heritage, biodiversity, sustainable food systems and the connection between people and place.

Whether your story takes place in a family kitchen, on a fishing boat, in a vineyard, on a farm or within a local community, Food Film Menu offers an opportunity to share it with an international audience.

Submission Guidelines

Films submitted to Food Film Menu 2026 must:

• Be a maximum of 5 minutes in length;
• Have been produced after 1 January 2021;
• Be submitted with English subtitles if the original language is not English;
• Be completed and submitted by 29 June 2026.

The competition welcomes both professional and emerging filmmakers from around the world.

Dobrogea’s Success Story

Food Film Menu has already become an important platform for sharing the stories of Dobrogea with international audiences.

In 2025, the film “Flavors of Dobrogea: A Journey Through Ethnic Cuisine”, produced by the National Heritage Institute and Romanian Riviera, won the Culinary Journeys Award at Food Film Menu 2025. The film highlighted the region’s remarkable cultural diversity and culinary traditions, bringing Dobrogea’s unique heritage to the international stage.

Its success demonstrated the power of storytelling in promoting regional identity and inspired new conversations about the role of gastronomy in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage.

An Invitation to Tell Your Story

As Dobrogea continues its journey as a Candidate European Region of Gastronomy 2029, we encourage filmmakers, cultural organisations, tourism professionals, educational institutions and local communities to share the stories that make their regions unique.

A recipe, a producer, a landscape, a tradition or a community initiative can become the starting point for a film capable of inspiring audiences around the world.

Because every region has stories worth telling.

And sometimes, a five-minute film is enough to bring them to life.

Submission deadline: 29 June 2026

For more information about participation and submissions, please contact: office@unpr-rse.ro