The lineup includes documentaries, biopics, dramas, comedies, animated films, thrillers and horror films, short films, experimental films and VR screenings, ranged in six sections: Agora, ARTE, LUX, Bandă Desenată / Comics, Public Tânăr / Young Audience and Film Republica Moldova. Several screenings will be followed by Q&A's with the filmmakers.

Several debates on socio-political hot topics will take place including a debate around the European policy on audiovisual with Samuel Young, General Secretary of EFADs as special guest.

The programme of the festival also includes film education workshops.This year the Audience Award will be replaced with a one year subscription to the VoD service MUBI.com award for three viewers of the festival.

The lineup includes Poland's All the Sleepless Nights by Michał Marczak (Endorfina Studio, Pulse Films), I, Olga Hepnarova by Petr Kazda and Tomáš Weinreb, Croatia’s box office hit The Mystery of the Green Hill by Čejen Černić (Kinorama) and Estoania’s Mother by Kadri Kõusaar (Meteoriit ).

The Romanian feature film Last Day / Ultima zi by Gabriel Achim (Green Film) will have its premiere during the festival.

The new artistic director is Alex Trăilă and the traditional festival ambassador is this year Paul Negoescu, the director of the Romanian film with best admissions in domestic cinemas in 2016, Two Lottery Tickets / Doua lozuri (Actorie de film).

The European Film Festival is organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute under the aegis of EUNIC Romania, in partnership with the European Commission Representation in Romania, with the support of embassies and cultural centres of European countries, the Romanian National Art Museum, the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, the French Institute - Cinema Elvire Popesco, the Romanian Filmmakers Union and the European Parliament Information Office in Romania.