Cinekid Festival stands as the largest global celebration of children’s film and media, taking place every autumn in Amsterdam and across 40 additional venues in the Netherlands. The festival captivates young audiences aged 3 to 14 with a selection of both Dutch and international films, series, and media, offering opportunities to meet the creators behind the magic.
The festival presents a distinctive program that allows children to immerse themselves in exceptional films and media experiences and includes them in every aspect of its program. Attendees have the chance to be among the first to view new children’s films and series from around the world, interact with directors during Q&A sessions, and participate in masterclasses led by industry professionals to create their own media.
Cinekid showcases a wide array of screen stories that traverse various cultural, national, and genre boundaries. The focus is not only on feature films, animated films, series, and documentaries, but also on innovative formats such as AR, VR, AI, immersive films, and narrative-based games. The festival centres around children’s real-life experiences and discoveries.
Spanning over 1,000 square meters, the MediaLab is filled with cutting-edge installations, games, and workshops by established artists and emerging talents. This space allows children to explore the latest technologies and innovations, experimenting with VR, AR, and AI through digital installations.
Cinekid Festival hosts the premieres of the latest Dutch and international children’s films and series, all competing for prestigious awards in the field, including Best Children’s Film, Best Dutch Children’s Film, and Best International Short Animation.
Cinekid Junior Co-Production Market 2025
The Junior Co-Production Market is an integrated three-day event designed for financiers, broadcasters, and producers to evaluate new and innovative projects in children’s film and television. This market will run from October 21 to 24.
Application deadline: June 29, 2025.
Submissions should include feature-length film projects or TV/serial/episodic projects targeting audiences aged 3 to 14. Eligible projects can encompass fiction, documentary, animation, or live action, as well as crossover genres. To qualify, projects must have a minimum of 10% financing secured (not including own investments) and a confirmed production company based in the country of origin.
Three accolades will be presented at the upcoming Junior Co-Production Market:
– Eurimages Co-production Development Award (€20,000)
– PUBLIKUM Audience Awareness Award (€9,000)
– Filmmore Post-production Award (€5,000)
Cinekid Script LAB 2025-26
The Cinekid Script LAB is designed for an international cohort of writers and writer/directors to develop their children’s feature films or series through personalised coaching and training over six months. This program, initiated by Cinekid in 2014, takes place during Cinekid for Professionals in October and continues at the Berlinale the following February.
Application Deadline: May 25, 2025.
For questions, please contact professionals@cinekid.nl.
For more information, please check the regulations here.
