International Shibari Film Festival
A festival that treats shibari as an artistic language through film; its 2026 edition screened a curated international selection at Cinema Aventure in Brussels on 2 July 2026 as the opening night of the Graines de Cordes III rope gathering. It is organised by the Namur-based non-profit Atelier Mae.
The International Shibari Film Festival (ISFF) presents shibari as an artistic language through film, performance and visual art. Its organizers call it the first cultural event in Europe devoted to shibari through cinema. It is run by Atelier Mae, a Belgian non-profit based in Namur that works on the teaching and artistic recognition of shibari.
The festival’s about page lists its aims: cultural recognition of shibari as an art form beyond reductive or purely erotic images, inclusive representation of bodies and identities, dialogue between film, dance, performance and visual art, a role for Belgium as a European center for shibari, and visibility for LGBTQIA+ communities and stories often left out of mainstream cultural spaces. It addresses curious newcomers, practitioners in Belgium and nearby countries, and professionals in dance, performance, film and visual art.
The 2026 program screened in Brussels on 2 July 2026 at the Cinema Aventure, as the opening night of Graines de Cordes III, a four-day rope gathering in Namur with workshops and jams. According to the tickets page, the evening ran about two hours of curated films followed by a discussion and an audience vote for the awards; early-bird tickets at €15 sold out and regular tickets cost €20. The home page gives the scale of the selection: 18 films from 14 countries in three categories (Cinema & Narrative, Live & Performances and Singular Perspectives), four awards and a sold-out room of 110 people.
After Brussels, the festival announced a special screening in Ottawa on 7 November 2026. The site is in English.