Ukrainian Children Kinofest is back - Here's everything you need to know
What will be shown at Children Kinofest 2025 (scene from the film "Pippi Longstocking")
From June 13 to 22, the 12th Children Kinofest — the largest national film festival for children and teenagers in Ukraine — will take place. Free screenings will be held in selected cinemas in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Lutsk, Odesa, Poltava, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv. Some sections of the program will also be available for online viewing. This year's lineup is full of exciting films, and we’ve highlighted five key reasons to visit this wonderful festival.
Family films from across Europe
The main program features 7 family films from various European countries, each able to entertain and touch audiences simultaneously. With different genres and visual styles, viewers will find something to their taste.
The program includes:
- Polish animation "Diplodocus" about the adventures of a young diplodocus
- Spanish sci-fi "Time Jump" about temporal paradoxes
- A touching German story, "The Bookwalker", about the relationship between a silent merchant and a talkative girl
- Norwegian drama "Lars. LOL", a sincere friendship with a boy who has Down syndrome
New works by renowned directors
The festival also has something for seasoned film lovers, with several titles from acclaimed filmmakers.
As part of the international competition, the animated film "Maya, Give Me a Name" by Oscar-winning French director Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Mood Indigo," "Kidding") will be screened.
In the parallel program, "The Most Precious of Cargoes" — an animation by another Oscar winner, Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist," "Godard Mon Amour"), who recently visited Ukraine to present his project, will be shown.
Scene from the film "The Last Time We Were Children"
Films about childhood in difficult times
Speaking of "The Most Precious of Cargoes," let's take a closer look at this special section.
This part of the program brings together 3 films that explore the core mission of adults — to protect children, especially during turbulent times:
- The eponymous French animation set during the Holocaust
- The Irish story "Zoo," about locals rescuing animals from a zoo during bombings
- The German drama "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit," about a girl who, fleeing a Nazi-occupied country, forgets her beloved toy — a pink rabbit
Children's film competition
As always, another important part of the festival will be the screenings of finalist films from the annual children's film competition, announced in autumn 2024.
A professional jury will select the winners from 19 short films, while viewers will decide who gets the audience award. The winners will be announced at the official closing ceremony.
Retrospective screenings
An out-of-competition section of the program will include two retrospective screenings. One is the German adventure comedy "Summer of Surprises," which won last year's "Children Kinofest."
The second is the classic 1969 family film Pippi Longstocking, shown in honor of the 80th anniversary of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren's creation of this legendary character.
