European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
On Saturday, February 14th, ECFA announced the winners of the annual ECFA Awards in three categories. Winner of the Best Feature Award was LIVING LARGE (by Kristina Dufková, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, France), the Documentary Award went to CIRCUSBOY (Julia Lemke & Anna Koch, Germany), and the Short Film Award was taken home by HANNAH & THE CROCODILE (Lore Mechelaere, Belgium). Awards were handed out at the Berlinale in a festive ceremony.
Buckle Up for Berlin! The ECFA Journal is up and running.
For ECFA members, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Berlin is always a highlight and a unique opportunity to connect with fellow members and share experiences. It also provides an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the ECFA Board’s work and concerns. As ECFA states in its invitation: “We think that the need for personal contacts is high and no better occasion for this than the annual meeting.”
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.
At the Schlingel festival, producer Philippe Budweg (Lieblingsfilm) presented a new title from the Outstanding Children’s Film production initiative. HORSE ON A STICK, by Sonia Maria Gröner, is now complete and ready to gallop into German cinemas from March 2026. Lieblingsfilm had previously produced young audience films such as WHAT THE FINN?! and INTO THE BEAT.
ECFA has once again made it possible for its members to watch all films nominated for the ECFA Award 2026 via the Sooner streaming platform. What do they expect from you in return? That you cast your vote in three categories. Help decide who will be the winner of the prestigious ECFA Awards 2026!
To promote the vitality of the contemporary Czech animation scene, the Zlin Festival has acquired the rights to 21 short animated films, the best that the animated film market has had to offer in recent years. From this selection, exhibitors can curate their own programme – free of charge! With this initiative, the Zlin Festival is targeting not only (ECFA) festivals worldwide but also film schools, cultural institutions, embassies, and educational organisations.
Continue reading “Zlin Film Festival Presents Czech Animation”
On Saturday 14 February 2026, ECFA invites you to contribute your thoughts on the current challenges of writing about young audience cinema. Publicists from various media backgrounds will have a panel discussion on how youth-oriented films are addressed from a film critic’s perspective.
Continue reading “How Can Film Criticism Grow Up With Its Audience?”