International festival · Yerevan

Cinema begins with the stranger across from you.

Kinocabaret is an international festival in Yerevan where strangers form teams and shoot a short film in 72 hours. Because together — it's easier.

Find a teamFor partners

Cinema is born in contact

Kinocabaret is a festival where strangers form teams and create a short film in 72 hours. No familiar connections, no fixed roles. Everything starts from scratch — and that is exactly what makes the result unpredictable and alive. Here you don't learn to make films — you make them. The time limit removes perfectionism. Strangers ask unexpected questions. An international line-up breaks familiar approaches. That is how cinema that surprises is born.

Find your role

Kinocabaret is open to everyone who wants to make cinema — regardless of level or profession. Choose the role closest to you.

First-time Director+
Make your first film — in 72 hours. You have an idea but no team to bring it to life. Kinocabaret solves that from day one: we match you with a cinematographer, actors and an editor, give you a theme and a deadline. In 72 hours — a finished film on screen and a team to keep working with. → A finished film in your portfolio · A team of co-authors · A shot at the $1,000 prize
Cinematographer / Editor+
Use your skill — for story, not for ads. You can shoot or edit, but your portfolio is corporate shoots and music videos. Kinocabaret is three days where your expertise serves a narrative. You'll leave with a narrative case and direct contacts with directors. → Narrative cinema in your portfolio · Director contacts · 50% discount on gear rental
Actor+
A film role — without casting or an agent. Castings are closed, you have no agent, your portfolio is only theatre and ads. At Kinocabaret directors see you live: you work on set for three days. You'll leave with a role in a short and material for your showreel. → A role in a short film · Showreel material · Direct contacts with directors
Screenwriter+
Your stories deserve the screen. Scripts sit in files for years because there's no team willing to trust an unknown author. At Kinocabaret you're on a team with a director from day one. By the Sunday screening your story becomes a film. → A film made from your text · A live audience reaction · Director contacts
Experienced Filmmaker+
A living exchange — not swapping business cards. Big festivals give you random acquaintances. Kinocabaret is 72 hours on one team with filmmakers from different countries: directors, cinematographers and producers at your level. This is where partners for the next project appear. → An international network · Real collaborations · A community of peers
Emerging Producer+
Your first producing case — in one weekend. Theory is over — time for the set. You coordinate the team, manage time and resources, and bring the film to the screening. It's not a simulation — it's real production in 72 hours. → A real production-management case · A network of directors and crew
Makeup / Costume / Art Dept+
Step out of theatre onto the film set. You're a master of your craft, but the film industry is closed without insiders. At Kinocabaret your craft is needed right now: makeup, costume, art department — the things you can't shoot a film without. You'll leave with a real film case and industry contacts. → A film case in your portfolio · Direct contacts with directors
Musician / Animator / Motion / AI+
Your discipline + narrative cinema. You're a musician, animator, motion designer or AI artist — and you don't know how your work fits into cinema. Kinocabaret is a format where you can try it without long negotiations: a team, a task, 72 hours. See how your tools work in a narrative context. → Experience in narrative cinema · Industry networking

Not on the list?

Didn't find yourself, or not sure about your level yet? Come as a volunteer. It's full immersion: three days beside the filmmaking process, different tasks and roles, live cinema from the inside. The best way to know once and for all whether it's for you.

Write to us

How it works

Three days — one film

Day 1

Meet, pitch, start

An opening party and intro masterclasses — first acquaintances in an informal setting. Then idea pitching and team formation: some arrive with a ready story, others look for people for a specific role, some come with a partly formed team, and some come alone. By the end of the day, teams take shape where everyone knows what the group is shooting and who is responsible for what. Those who are ready start shooting that very first evening.

Day 2

Shooting and editing

The main shooting day. Teams work at their own pace: crews get access to locations and the festival partners' equipment to rent at a discount. In parallel there are workshops, lectures and masterclasses for those not yet (or no longer) on set, or who came simply to get to know the industry. By evening, the first material goes into editing.

Day 3

Editing, screening and after party

Final editing and workshops until the evening. Then the screening: every team shows its finished film, a live audience, feedback, and the awards. The winning team receives $1,000 in kind toward their next project. After the screening — an after party and informal networking.

The schedule is flexible: each team builds its own process. The only deadline is a finished film by the evening of the third day.

Your result in just 72 hours

For all participants

A finished short film with you in it — for festivals, portfolio and social media · An international team — real connections with filmmakers from different countries · Professional networking: directors, cinematographers, actors, screenwriters, producers · Lectures and workshops from industry professionals across all three days · A closed screening with feedback from the audience, peers and jury

For directors and screenwriters

A shot at the $1,000 prize fund in kind — rental of equipment, locations and consumables for your next film.

For cinematographers, directors, art dept, producers

A 50% discount on gear rental from the festival's partners — valid for all participants during the event.

Prizes

The festival's best team receives $1,000 in kind — funds toward rental of equipment, locations and consumables for shooting their next film. This is not cash in hand. It's a real resource for realizing your next project: gear, a location and materials — without having to seek funding from scratch. Regardless of the result, all Kinocabaret participants get a 50% discount on gear rental from the festival's partners.

Ready to shoot? Leave a request — we'll get in touch and tell you about the next Kinocabaret in Yerevan: date, cost, open roles.

I want to take part

For partners and sponsors

Support Kinocabaret

Kinocabaret is an international festival with an audience of filmmakers from 5+ countries. It gathers people with a professional network and a habit of talking about meaningful events — publicly, on social media and in professional communities.

Technical partners (equipment, services)

A place in the 50% discount system — your rental as the recommended choice for all participants · Branding in the program and on site · A mention on Kinolaboratory's social media — Instagram + YouTube · Presence at the screening and networking

Financial sponsors and media partners

Your logo on all event materials — site, program, video, screening · Naming of the prize fund or a special nomination · Publications on Kinolaboratory's social media · Product integration into festival content — by agreement

Partnership formats

Technical partner — equipment, consumables, location rental · Media partner — media, professional communities, online channels · General sponsor — funding the prize fund or the operating budget

Discuss a partnership

Kinocabaret is part of Kinolaboratory

Kinolaboratory is an auteur film school in Yerevan. Our methodology: making your own film as a tool for self-discovery. Kinocabaret is one of the formats. Here are the others:

Offline course (5 months)+
The full cycle from idea to finished film. A director-teacher and a psychotherapist on the team. Yerevan, in person. → kinolab.school/en
Cinema therapy (2-day intensive)+
A short video self-portrait (up to 1 minute) as a way to understand yourself better. Art-therapy practices, the basics of visual language, and a screening with feedback. For those in a period of change or working on self-presentation.
Screenwriting course+
For those who want to learn to write stories for cinema.
Short-film production+
Kinolaboratory makes films itself. Need production? We know how. → instagram.com/kinolab_production
All Kinolaboratory products

Frequently asked questions

How much does participation cost?+
The cost depends on the participation format. The base entry point is from $50. Leave a request — we'll write with current terms for your role.
I'm not a professional filmmaker. Is there a place for me?+
Yes. The volunteer role is open to everyone without experience — you'll be beside the process from day one to the screening. Adjacent specialties (music, motion, animation) are welcome too. Experience is a plus, not a requirement.
I'm coming from another country. Is there help with accommodation?+
We don't arrange accommodation, but we provide recommendations for options in Yerevan. Mention it in your request — we'll help you get oriented.
What language is the festival in?+
The working language is English. The teams are international, so English is a required condition of participation.
Can I take part online?+
No. Kinocabaret is in-person only. Cinema is born in live contact: this is a fundamental part of our approach.
What happens to the film after the festival?+
The film stays with the team. You can show it at festivals, publish it on social media and add it to your portfolio. We also publish the results on our channels — with participants' consent.
What is the $1,000 prize fund — is it money?+
It's an in-kind equivalent: rental of equipment, locations and consumables for shooting your next film. Not cash. Winners use the prize funds through partner rentals.
What if I don't click with my team?+
That's part of the challenge. We deliberately form diverse teams — that's exactly what makes the result interesting. If serious difficulties arise, reach out to the organizers and we'll help sort it out.