European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
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?”
Grab it, unwrap it, and rejoice… Here is your ECFA Journal!
During the ECFA Exchange sessions (28-29 September), hosted by the SCHLINGEL Festival in Chemnitz, Germany, directors, producers, distributors, and festival programmers from 10 European countries gathered on stage for an intensive exchange of information, data, and perspectives based on case studies. The main goal was to “take children’s film and media seriously”.
The German ‘Outstanding Children’s Film’ initiative (Der Besondere Kinderfilm) is dedicated to the production of high-quality, original cinema for young audiences. It was founded in 2013 to fill a gap: films that aren’t adaptations or tied to existing franchises but instead tell new, socially relevant stories that reflect children’s lives today. Over the years, the programme has broadened its scope and now the first “outstanding” documentary and animated movies have hit the screens. Continue reading “‘Outstanding Children’s Film’ Broadens Scope”
The new Cine Regio Young Audience Report 2025 has arrived, initiated by KIDS Regio in collaboration with Cine Regio!
Continue reading “KIDS Regio Publishes Young Audience Report”
The ECFA Award train is picking up speed again, rolling back and forth between Germany and Italy over the past few months.
Nordic Film Days Lübeck (NFL) has a long tradition of programming for young audiences. From its early days, the festival recognised that children and teenagers are vital to its future and invested accordingly: family-focused curation and a school cinema tradition. COVID disrupted these habits and called for a post-pandemic strategy to rebuild engagement: a year-round offer, barrier-lowering measures and tighter alignment with schools and kindergartens.
Continue reading “Nordic Film Days’ (post-COVID) School Cinema Strategy”
With around 115,000 admissions, Tõnis Pill’s controversial feature FRÄNK redefines youth cinema in a country where such films are rare. During the SCHLINGEL Festival, where the film celebrated its international première, FRÄNK was the talk of the town. The director was invited to elaborate on the film’s production conditions and marketing strategy during the ECFA Exchange for professionals.