ISFF - A new cinematic space for Shibari
The International Shibari Film Festival (ISFF) is the first cultural event in Europe dedicated to shibari through the medium of cinema. It offers a fresh and inclusive perspective, presenting shibari as a fully-fledged artistic language at the crossroads of film, performance and visual arts. With its programme of screenings and shared moments, the ISFF invites audiences to discover shibari from a new cinematic angle, far from the reductive or exclusively erotic representations that often limit its perception.
Based in Brussels, the festival also serves as the opening night of Graines de Cordes III (July 2026), a four-day event in Namur featuring workshops, jams and exchanges around rope practice. By linking both events, the ISFF strengthens the visibility of contemporary shibari within the cultural landscape.
The ISFF aims to reinforce the cultural recognition of shibari as an art form. It promotes an inclusive and diverse representation that reflects the variety of bodies, identities and artistic expressions present in this practice. The festival is designed to be accessible to a curious and varied audience, and to encourage dialogue between disciplines such as film, dance, performance and visual arts. It also contributes to positioning Belgium as a key hub for shibari in Europe, and as a meeting point for this evolving artistic field.
The event targets a broad audience: curious newcomers, shibari practitioners in Belgium and neighbouring countries, and professionals from dance, performance, cinema and visual arts. It places particular emphasis on LGBTQIA+ communities and on audiences sensitive to diversity and inclusion. This approach reflects the festival’s commitment to highlighting narratives and perspectives often marginalised in traditional cultural spaces. By giving visibility to works that question norms, celebrate diverse identities and open the way to more nuanced viewpoints, the ISFF promotes a more open, representative and accessible vision of shibari through cinema.
The festival is organised by Atelier Mae ASBL, a Belgian non-profit dedicated to the dissemination, transmission and artistic recognition of shibari through events, workshops and training programmes.
