Zlín Film Festival - International Film Festival for Children and Youth

ended

The Zlín Film Festival is the oldest film festival of its kind in the world. The festival takes place mainly in Zlín, but also in other municipalities of the Czech Republic. The festival's mission is to present international and, especially, European film productions for children and teenagers, to make it accessible to child audiences, as well as to offer a high-quality alternative to commonly available audiovisual content. An important aspect of the festival is to educate young audiences through the medium of film, expand their awareness of the outside world, and develop their aesthetic, social, and moral feelings. The aim of the professional program for film professionals is to contribute to the development of Czech and European cinema for children and youth. The festival has a clearly and prominently pro-European dimension, which is presented by special sections featuring only European films. The basic structure of the film program is well established and is based on the very nature of a festival for children and youth. In the area of non-competitive sections, the content is adjusted slightly each year to respond to current topics and trends. The festival naturally fulfills the vision of being a film festival for the whole family, and there is the unique added value of the diversity of cultures and traditions that cinema offers. The festival systematically works to develop its audience, and also works very closely with other European festivals. It is an active member of the European Children's Film Association (ECFA). The Zlín Film Festival is a leader in the international field of festivals for children and youth. Each year, it presents nearly 300 films from over 45 countries, accompanied by film delegations from all over the world. An integral part of the festival are both the international expert juries and the international children's jury.