The Belarusian Film Critics Award Red Heather is meant to celebrate the best achievements in the field of Belarusian cinema – cinema created by Belarusians by their citizenship or background, both in the country and abroad. The awards are intended to draw attention to these achievements and contribute to empowering the Belarusian film community.

The first edition of the award took place in 2021-2022 – its establishment was caused by the brutal suppression of independent culture in Belarus, which the Lukashenka regime began in retaliation to mass protests. Belarusian film critics then decided to create an award that would become a guide to Belarusian cinema, and would also compensate for the loss of independent movie theaters by supporting the efforts of Belarusian filmmakers.

The jury of Red Heather includes film critics, journalists, experts, researchers, and bloggers. They evaluate short and feature fiction, documentary, and animated films.

Red Heathers are now awarded in 15 nominations.

Best fiction feature film,

Best fiction short film, 

Best documentary feature film, 

Best documentary short film, 

Best animated film, 

Best director, 

Best actor, 

Best actress, 

Best cinematography, 

Best script, 

Best editing 

Best production design, 

Best sound design, 

Best documentary report (TV or YouTube documentaries), 

Discovery of the year.

Film created in the previous two years are eligible for Red Heather.