Over the past few months, a whole host of titles have been added to the list of nominations for the ECFA Award 2026. Voting is now open. The awards at 10 (!) participating festivals were spread across no fewer than 12 different countries in recent months, with three nominations for Dutch films standing out: LAMPIE, DOWN IN THE DUMPS, and SUMMER OF DREAMS. Here you can check out the full overview.
DOXS! RUHR (Germany)
ECFA Doc Award Winner: CIRCUS CHILD (Julia Lemke & Anna Koch, Germany)
ECFA Jury: Signe Zeilich-Jensen (NL), Ralph Etter (CH), Alex Tim Purr (D)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “CIRCUS CHILD is not a children’s film in the conventional sense, but a quiet, deeply moving family epic in miniature format. A film that is as inventive as the story it tells – carried by empathy and a belief in the dignity of being different. A film whose universal story gives hope for a more fluid, more open world.”
Filem’On Festival (Belgium)
ECFA Feature Award: Goat Girl (Ana Asensio, Spain)
ECFA Jury: Samira Zaibat (B), Timothé Brocard (F), Emma Tirand (F)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “Through a great stage direction, this film highlights a deep, friendship between two girls from different backgrounds. The jury was specifically charmed by the film’s mystic aspect and the strong perspective of a female director.”
ECFA Short Award: HAPPY SNAPS (Tyro Heath, UK)
ECFA Jury: Eva Maria-Schneider (D), Francisca Delgado (P), Faridah Nabaggala (N)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “This films subtly captures everything we feel for a truly special friend. When a simple “see you soon” actually means “farewell”, photography becomes a powerful way to relive a life full of joy and connection.”
ECFA Doc Award: GIRLS DON’T CRY (Sigrid Klausmann & Lina Luzyte, Germany)
ECFA Jury: Gailé Janulavicé (LT), Darko Basheki (MC), Kaja Luczynska (PL)
Jury Statement: “For a rich, eventful, and varied portrait of real life, achieved through thorough, global research. For the atmosphere of sisterhood, and the girls’ everyday bravery and strength. For excellent, dynamic editing and the power to spark real change.”
Bucharest Kids Film Festival (Romania)
ECFA Short Award: WOLFIE (Phillipe Kastner, Czech Republic)
ECFA Jury: Iris Verhoeven (B), Libor Pixa (CZ), Radu Potcoava (RO)
doxs! (Germany)
ECFA Doc Award: GRANDPA HAS A BROKEN EYE AND MOM IS AN ADVENTURE (Marita Mayer – Anton Nyman, Norway)
ECFA Jury: Teresa Lima (P), Marjo Kovanen (FI), Lina Poulsen (D)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The directors succeeded in translating children’s perspectives into beautifully animated, metaphorical images that provide easy access to complex realities.”
Castellinaria Bellinzona (Switzerland)
ECFA Feature Award: SAMIA (Yasemin Samdereli, Italy, a.o.)
ECFA Jury: Livia Lunetto (F), Barbara Johnsonová (CZ), Ludmila Cvikova (SK)
Just Film (Estonia)
ECFA Feature Award: MIRA (Marie Limkilde, Denmark)
ECFA Jury: Janne Vierth (S), Nora Lakos (H), Alfred Sesma (ES)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The script is wonderfully warm and humorous in a way that doesn’t sweep strong feelings under the carpet. The direction is sensitive with a great sense of detail, both in the relationships and in the visuals. (…) It’s a film for anyone who has lost love in any form, but it never wavers from the perspective of an audience at an age where nothing in the world is more important than your friends.”
Oulu Int’l Children’s Film Festival (Finland)
ECFA Feature Award: LAMPIE (Margien Rogaar, the Netherlands)
ECFA Jury: Antti Kairakari (FI), Sigrid Klausmann (D), Mikk Rand (EE)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The protagonist leads us into a strange world full of bizarre characters and monsters. We fear such monsters, just as we fear anything different and unfamiliar. But the film shows us that true monsters don’t look like monsters, and those that appear to be, often aren’t monsters at all. The film is full of poetry and tenderness, with breathtaking cinematic images of an oceanic, rocky landscape that reflects our threatened planet. Our protagonist is exposed to this world, and she confronts it.”
ECFA Short Award: SUMMER OF DREAMS (Kim Faber, the Netherlands)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “This film is about life and death, about being young and not knowing if you will ever get old. The young audience is invited to deal with this without fear and anxiety, but with empathy. (…) We experience the power of love and friendship, especially in dark and sad times. It’s a film that burrows into your heart and stays with you for a long time.”
Athens Int’l Children’s Film Festival (Greece)
ECFA Feature Award: I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A BOOK (Nora Lakos, Hungary)
ECFA Short Award: BOBEL’S KITCHEN (Fiona Rolland, Belgium)
ECFA Jury: Jaroslava Hynstova (CZ), Hidde de Vries (NL), Iris Verhoeven (B)
Alékino! (Poland)
ECFA Feature Award: OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE (Irene Iborra Rizo, Spain)
ECFA Jury: Sergio Marques (P), Tone Mygind Rostboll (DK), Aleksandra Bielska (PL)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “Life has its ups and downs, and sometimes plunges us into deep, unfamiliar waters that may feel impossible to face. (…) What glows at the heart of this story is the strength of community. It shows us that we are braver and kinder when we stand together, and that every one of us, children and adults alike, carries a voice worth hearing.
Olympia Youth Film Festival (Greece)
ECFA Feature Award: SPILT MILK (Brian Durmin, Ireland)
ECFA Jury: Kärt Vainola (EE), Radka Hoffman (CZ), Viola Gabrielli (D)
Jury Statement: “With remarkable new-director confidence, SPILT MILK transforms a playful coming-of-age detective tale into a subtly powerful portrait of a working-class Dublin family facing the 1980s heroin epidemic, led by extraordinary performances from its young cast.”
ECFA Short Award: DOWN IN THE DUMPS (Vera van Wolferen, the Netherlands)
ECFA Jury: Chloë van Baar (NL), Konrad Neisse (D), Paraskevi Karageorgu (BG)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The award goes to a film that brings mental health to the screen with rare sensitivity and a compassionate artistic voice. (…) The film approaches heavy themes in a way that is appropriate for children and deeply resonant. Its visual world enhances the emotional depth of the story, inviting viewers into an imaginative and compassionate space.”
ECFA Doc Award: CLEAR SKY (Marcin Kundera, Poland)
ECFA Jury: Anne Schultka (D), Karolina Smigiel (PL), Dimitris Zachos (GR)
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The film captures the raw reality of childhood in Ukraine by tapping into the personal perspective of two boys whose playful moments and war-shaped routines reveal a profound truth about growing up in conflict. (…) Encounters with adults show how childhood can erode, while the boys’ shared moments remind us that even in the shadow of conflict, every child needs a friend who can witness their truth.”