Into the world of cinema through the eyes of children: Children's Film Festival announces the jury and finalists of the Children's Competition
Famous Ukrainian filmmakers will determine the best films created by children. Viewers in theaters and online will also be able to choose their favorite.
As part of the 12th Children's Film Festival, which will take place in Ukraine from June 13 to 22, the Children's Film Competition will traditionally be held. The film competition has been held for 9 years in a row during the largest Ukrainian film festival for children and teenagers. We remind you that PLUSPLUS is the general television partner, Kyivstar TV is the official partner of the online cinema.
The Children's Film Competition includes works by young directors lasting from 1 to 8 minutes. Participants will compete for cash prizes, and most importantly, all finalist films will be shown to the Children's Film Festival audience of thousands in cinemas in 12 participating cities on June 21, as well as in the festival's online cinema online.childrenkinofest.com, where they will be available for viewing worldwide during June 13–22.
This year's Children's Film Competition, announced in the fall of 2024, gathered over 140 applications from children from different parts of Ukraine and temporary migrants abroad. Films of various themes and genres were submitted: from stories about friendship and nature, to horror films and post-apocalyptic films. The problem that worries young directors the most was once again war, which is present in many works in different ways: some films offer fantastic plots, some are about escaping from occupation, and some are about experiencing the grief of loss. The jury included well-known Ukrainian filmmakers: the director of the film "Bad Roads" and the showrunner of the series "Catching Kaidash" Natalka Vorozhbyt, known for her roles in the film "House "Slovo". The Endless Romance" and the series "And There Will Be People" actress Marina Koshkina, as well as the producer of the films "La Palisade" and "House Behind Glass" Valeria Sochivets.
“I am the mother of a teenager and I consider this age to be the most emotionally dramatic. That’s why it’s cool when there is a way to creatively express yourself – to tell about yourself through cinema. When I was that age, the theater “saved” me. This generation has already faced many challenges. I wonder how they think, see the world and themselves in it. I’m looking forward to starting my work on the jury,” said Natalka Vorozhbyt.
“I’m interested in getting into the world of cinema through the eyes of children, because they create cinema with their hearts. I believe that it can be deep, honest and very real. And it’s also a great opportunity to learn something myself. I’m happy to discover new voices for myself, because the film festival is a platform for future directors, actors and dreamers,” added Maryna Koshkina.
On June 22, at the festival’s closing ceremony, the honorary jury will name the Best Ukrainian Children’s Film, which will receive an award of 10,000 hryvnias. The Best Feature and Animated Films in the 7–10 and 11–14 categories (5,000 hryvnias each) will also be selected. Viewers will also choose their favorites – the winner of the Audience Award will receive 7,000 hryvnias. All finalists of the competition will receive personalized certificates.
This year, 19 films made it to the final of the Children’s Film Competition. The list of finalists is here.
The Children’s Film Competition is only part of the Children’s Film Festival program. A selection of current European films for children and teenagers (international competition program) will also be available for viewing in cinemas at the festival. For online viewing on the website online.childrenkinofest.com, the organizers have prepared a special collection of films “The Most Valuable Cargo,” which explores the most important mission of adults: protecting childhood even in turbulent historical periods. Among the screenings that will take place both in cinemas and online: a retrospective program (the 1969 adventure comedy "Pippi Longstocking" is the most famous screen incarnation of the heroine that the famous writer Astrid Lindgren created 80 years ago) and a screening of last year's winner - the adventure comedy "Summer of Surprises" about the journey of a boy who attracts trouble.
Children's Film Festival is the largest film festival for children and teenagers in Ukraine, created with the aim of educating a new generation of filmgoers in Ukraine, developing family cultural leisure practices and promoting the art of cinema. Since its inception in 2014, the event has been visited by over 300 thousand spectators.
The 12th Children's Film Festival will take place from June 13 to 22. All festival events are free of charge, subject to prior registration, which begins on June 6. Registration for cinema screenings for organized groups of 6 or more people is already underway - for this, you need to contact local coordinators.
