CINEKID Festival 2026

Festival Description: Cinekid is the world’s largest media festival for children. Every year more than 60,000 children are given the opportunity to visit over 500 media productions selected by the festival: feature films, short films, episodic productions, cross-media projects, and interactive installations as well as partake in workshops and masterclasses. For more than 35 years, Cinekid has been the largest international children’s film and media platform in the world, bringing children from all over the Netherlands into contact with the richest selection of film productions. Cinekid wants to amaze, entertain, connect, and contribute to the development of children into independent, conscious, and thoughtful citizens of the world. Cinekid is also the most important international professional platform focused on children's film and media productions.

Cinekid for Professionals intends to improve the availability and quality of productions and connects the industry. The highlight is the annual Cinekid Festival during the autumn vacation. In Amsterdam and dozens of film theatres around the country, children can experience new striking international films, and television productions and get in touch with the creators, as well as explore the MediaLab, with interactive art installations, workshops, and games. International professionals meet during the festival’s professionals’ program at its coproduction market, conferences, and during talent development programs that run throughout the year. The Cinekid festival gives an overview of the best new international children's films, television productions, and cross-media productions for children with the aim of promoting the quality of media for youth. In addition to its unique public programming, Cinekid encourages collaborations through Cinekid for Professionals, an internationally influential five-day industry program.

CINEKID Festival Call for Entries

Categories

• Best Children's Film Competition
• Best Dutch Children's Film Competition
• Best International Short Film Competition
• Best Dutch Short Film Competition
• Best Dutch Series Competition

Eligibility criteria (Archive)

- Best Children’s Film Competition

Each year Cinekid presents its prestigious Best Children’s Film Competition showcasing the best new feature films for children from all over the world. Cinekid takes great care to select films of all genres and includes works for children in each of Cinekid’s age categories (from 3 until 14 years old).

• On average 15 feature-length films are invited.
• All films competing in the Best Children’s Film Competition are eligible for two awards, which are given to the winning film’s majority production company.
  Cinekid Lion - Best Children’s Film Competition - Jury Award: An international jury of children’s film professionals decides which film is honoured with a Cinekid Lion Jury Award statuette and prize money. The amount of prize money is dependent on sponsors and is to be announced at a later time.
  Cinekid Lion - Best Children’s Film Competition - Audience Award: The votes of the children's audience attending the Cinekid Festival decide which film wins the Cinekid Lion Audience Award statuette.
• Only feature films are eligible for the Cinekid Best Children’s Film Competition. The submitted film needs to be at least 50 minutes.
• The screening of the submitted film at Cinekid should at least be a Dutch premiere.

- Best International Short Competition

The Cinekid Best International Short Competition helps acquaint Dutch children with stories and ways of storytelling from as many countries as possible. Cinekid's aim is to represent as many countries and cultures, techniques, and artistic diversity as possible. More than 50 short films are presented in thematically combined programmes or as preludes before a feature film screening.

The films are chosen to represent a wide range of styles and showcase a broad spectrum of countries and cultures. An international jury of children’s film experts and professionals decides which films are awarded Cinekid Lion Jury Awards in two categories. The winning film’s director will be awarded a Cinekid Lion statuette and prize money. The amount of prize money is dependent on sponsors and is to be announced at a later time. The two categories are:
Cinekid Lion – Best International Animated Short
Cinekid Lion – Best International Live-Action Short

• All new short films for children and youth produced in 2021/2022 are eligible for the competition.
• Only short films are eligible for the Cinekid Best International Short Competition. The submitted film should be shorter than 50 minutes.

Last but not least, this year, Cinekid is also seeking international high-quality episodic productions that are interested in having their international premiere at Cinekid Festival 2023. If you have a production that you think would be a good fit for the festival, please don't hesitate to contact the festival.

• Entry form and Regulations
• Deadline: 1 June 2025 (no entry fee)