The Early Bird International Student Film Festival is a prominent Bulgarian forum dedicated to supporting the creation of student short films. Established in 2005 by the American Foundation for Bulgaria, in collaboration with Mr. Alexey Hristov and Prof. Ph. D. Stanislav Semerdjiev, it became an international event with its second edition. The festival aims to provide a platform for student filmmakers from Bulgaria, Europe, and internationally to present their works, fostering an environment for sharing knowledge and challenging conventional filmmaking. Over the years, it has screened more than 1300 films from 84 countries, offering various side events like master classes, workshops, and conferences. The festival celebrates emerging filmmakers and bold storytelling, accepting student fiction, documentary, or animation films up to 30 minutes in length.