Submissions for the Heritage in Motion (HIM) Award 2026 open on 1 April 2026. The award is an international recognition of excellence in digital and audiovisual projects that interpret, preserve, or promote cultural and natural heritage.
The opening of the call and the first HIM Festival in Bled were officially presented for the first time by the Forum of Slavic Cultures at the [IN]VISIBLE Festival, held from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) in Brussels (more here).
Established in 2012, the award has a long tradition of recognising innovative multimedia and digital projects in the heritage field. In recent years, digital transformation has significantly shaped the cultural heritage sector, as museums and other cultural institutions increasingly adopt new formats – from film and digital storytelling to interactive installations and virtual and augmented reality. It is precisely these kinds of projects that HIM celebrates, bringing together museums and other cultural institutions, filmmakers, and professionals working with new technologies.
A New Chapter in 2026: The First HIM Festival in Bled
The year 2026 marks an important new development: for the first time, the HIM Award will be presented as part of the new HIM Festival, taking place on 29 and 30 September 2026 at the Bled Festival Hall.
The festival will serve as an international platform for showcasing innovative audiovisual and digital projects in the fields of cultural, historical, and intangible heritage. The programme will include finalist presentations, film screenings, interactive presentations, workshops, discussions, and the HIM Award Ceremony on the evening of 30 September.
Highlights of this year’s programme will include:
- a keynote lecture by Sandro Debono, museum thinker from Malta,
- participation of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe (UNESCO),
- and a screening of Fiume o morte! (2025), winner of the Best European Documentary Film at the European Film Awards 2026, followed by a discussion with the authors.
The festival is organised by the Forum of Slavic Cultures in cooperation with the European Museum Academy and the Bled Culture Institute.
HIM 2026 Categories
Submissions are open in three categories:
1. New Digital Experiences
For projects that use advanced technologies to create interactive and immersive forms of heritage presentation.
2. Virtual, Augmented and Extended Reality
For projects that use VR, AR, or XR as tools for exploring, interpreting, and communicating cultural heritage.
3. Heritage Audiovisuals
For outstanding audiovisual works – films, documentaries, animations, or short videos – that present heritage in an accessible and compelling way.
Submissions Open from 1 April to 1 June 2026
Projects can be submitted via FilmFreeway
More information