| Location | Moscow, USSR |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Awards | Grand Prix |
| Festival date | 7–21 July 1981 |
| Website | http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru |
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 The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone directed by Nguyen Hong Shen and the Soviet-French-Swiss film Teheran 43 directed by Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir Naumov.
The following films were selected for the main competition: