The call for Heritage in Motion (HIM) 2026 has officially closed, marking another important milestone for the international awards programme. This year, we are delighted to announce that applications have been received from 17 countries across Europe and beyond, highlighting the growing global interest in digital innovation for cultural heritage.
For the first time, Heritage in Motion has expanded well beyond Europe, welcoming submissions from Canada and Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore. This international reach reflects the increasing importance of digital storytelling and creative technologies in preserving and interpreting cultural heritage worldwide.
Projects have been submitted across three award categories:
- New Digital Experiences
- Virtual, Augmented & Extended Reality
- Heritage Audiovisuals (presented in partnership with Museums in Short). The Heritage Audiovisuals category is especially noteworthy this year, as it marks the first collaboration between Heritage in Motion and Museums in Short. This partnership brings together two internationally recognised initiatives dedicated to celebrating excellence in audiovisual storytelling for cultural heritage.
The international jury has now begun the evaluation process. The HIM 2026 Jury brings together distinguished professionals from museums, cultural institutions and the audiovisual sector:
- Andrea Bellavite – Director, Basilica di Aquileia Foundation (Italy)
- Ahmed Emad – Museum Professional, Abu Dhabi (UAE)
- Tanvi Jindal Shete – Founder, Museum of Solutions, Mumbai (India)
- Olli Nordling – Digital Heritage Specialist, Finnish Postal Museum (Finland), winner of the Heritage in Motion 2025 Award with the documentary Hands Deep. A Journey into Demoscene
- Dr. Stojan Pelko – Director, Slovenian Cinematheque (Slovenia)
- Amilcar Vargas – World Heritage Manager, Casa Batlló, Barcelona (Spain)
- Honorary Ambassador: Robin Lutz – filmmaker, documentary director and co-founder of Heritage in Motion.
Join Us at the First-Ever HIM Festival
For the first time in its twelve-year history, Heritage in Motion is evolving beyond an awards ceremony into a two-day international festival, taking place in Bled, Slovenia, on 29–30 September 2026.
The festival will bring together finalists, museum professionals, filmmakers, digital heritage experts and cultural leaders from around the world. In addition to the awards ceremony, finalists will present their projects to an international audience, creating a unique platform for professional exchange, networking and collaboration.
The programme will feature keynote lectures by internationally recognised experts, including:
- Sandro Debono (Malta) – museum expert and heritage consultant
- Alenka Selčan Božič (Slovenia) – founder of Art Rebel 9
- Irena Todorova (Bulgaria) – Director of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre
- Terry Stevens – international expert in tourism, cultural development and destination management.
Festival highlights will also include a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Fiume o morte!, presentations by finalists across all three HIM categories, and the prestigious Heritage in Motion 2026 Award Ceremony.
We warmly invite museum professionals, filmmakers, cultural heritage experts and everyone passionate about innovation in heritage interpretation to join us in Bled for this unique international gathering.
We look forward to welcoming you to the first Heritage in Motion Festival.
Stay tuned — in the coming weeks, finalists will be announced and presented on our Facebook page.