About us
Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival
is an annual children's and youth film screening event and competition.
The only annual children's and youth film festival in Finland, it is the largest film festival in Finland in terms of attendance. In 2024, it had over 170 000 participants. In the last four years (2021-24), the festival has attracted more than 638 000 participants.
The Children's and Youth Film Festival has been organised since 1982. Through its long-term commitment, the festival has established itself in the cultural field of the Oulu region and on the international children's film festival scene.
The November event is organised by the Oulu Film Centre.
The Children's and Youth Film Festival has been organised since 1982. Through its long-term commitment, the festival has established itself in the cultural field of the Oulu region and on the international children's film festival scene.
The November event is organised by the Oulu Film Centre.
The festival offers a unique opportunity to see numerous films that cannot be seen anywhere else in Finland. The event presents new international children's and youth film production, diversifying the cultural offering in the Oulu region. The target group is especially local children, young people and their families.
The film festival is divided into five competitions: Children's Film Competition, Youth Film Competition, Finnish Competition, Best European Children's Film and Best European Children's Short Film.
The festival presents the Children's Film Competition Award in the Children's Film Competition, the Global Future Prize in the Youth Film Competition, Look at Me... Award in the Finnish Competition and the ECFA awards for the best European children's film and children's short film. In addition to the competitions, festival films are also screened in special programmes, which are e.g. Shorts, Kaleidoscope, Classics, and other changing themes.
The festival is visited by prominent domestic and international film-maker guests every year. The festival also organises the international Oulu Children's Film Forum. Moreover, the festival also features other diverse and interesting events.
The films are screened during the festival week in the Valve Main Hall and the Studio Cinema at the Cultural Centre Valve.
Every year, the festival collaborates extensively with other cultural events, associations and businesses in the region. Especially the strong cooperation with local schools makes it possible for hundreds of school and kindergarten groups to view films at the festival venues each year.
Today, the festival offers free online screenings for kindergartens and schools throughout Finland. The screenings and study guides support media and film education in the school curriculum.