12th Moscow International Film Festival

The 12th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 7 to 21 July 1981. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Brazilian film O Homem que Virou Suco directed by João Batista de Andrade, the Vietnamese film ' directed by and the Soviet-French-Swiss film Teheran 43 directed by Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir Naumov.

• Golden Prizes:
• O Homem que Virou Suco by João Batista de Andrade
• ' by
• Teheran 43 by Aleksandr Alov, Vladimir Naumov
• Silver Prizes:
• Temporary Paradise by András Kovács
• Belønningen by Bjørn Lien
• Muddy River by Kōhei Oguri
• Special Prizes:
• Ali in Wonderland by Ahmed Rachedi
• Yo Ho Ho by Zako Heskiya
• Ta chvíle, ten okamžik by Jiří Sequens
• Peacetime in Paris by Predrag Golubović
• Prizes:
• Best Actor: Karl Merkatz for Der Bockerer
• Best Actor: Tito Junco for Guardafronteras
• Best Actor: Roman Wilhelmi for The Moth
• Best Actress: Mercedes Sampietro for Gary Cooper, Who Art in Heaven
• Best Actress: Maya-Gozel Aimedova for Tree Dzhamal
• Special Diplomas:
• The Man with the Carnation by Nikos Tzimas
• El caso Huayanay by Federico García
• Morning Undersea by Lauro António
• The Pale Light of Sorrow by Iulian Mihu
• Night by the Seashore by Erkko Kivikoski
• Diploma:
• Young Actor: Viktor Chouchkov for Yo Ho Ho
• Prix FIPRESCI: ' by