We hosted the 8th Cinemira International Children’s and Youth Film Festival, where for three days nearly a hundred short films and seven feature films awaited young audiences. This year’s central theme once again revolved around the motto “Watch and Create!”, because Cinemira is not only about watching films — it’s about letting kids and teens experience the magic of filmmaking themselves. The program included stunt and animal training shows, music video workshops, and inspiring discussions with filmmakers, including Oscar-winner Kristóf Deák.

One of the most cherished traditions of Cinemira is that children decide the main awards. This year, nearly five thousand students from all over Hungary voted for their favorite films. In the YOUTH category, for audiences aged thirteen and up, Péter Vácz’s animated film Dog Ear won the Golden Squirrel Award. The film tells the story of a boy and his dog, exploring love, violence, and forgiveness with sensitivity, humor, and stunning animation. Dog Ear didn’t just win the hearts of children — the critics’ jury also selected it as the Best Hungarian Film, and the director received the Digic Pictures Special Prize as well.

In the KIDS category, the winning film was Gypsy Tales: Boldimó’s Violin, a story about the power of music and the passing of tradition, while Eszter Szoboszlay’s The Encounter received the Digic Special Award — a project that had previously been supported through Cinemira’s Pitch Forum. The international juries also announced their selections: Mother and the Umbrella, a lyrical Chinese live-action film, was named Best Live-Action Film, and the French Shooting Star won Best Animation.

The festival also celebrated young creators: dozens of talented teens competed in student and short video categories, presenting their own creative works. The closing gala at Cinema City Mammut was crowned by a spectacular five-tier Nutella–raspberry–popping candy cake made by Sugar! Shop.

We look forward to welcoming the filmmakers of the future again next year!

Cinemira is a member of the Screen the Future – European Children’s Film Festival Network. This project is funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe MEDIA programme.

Project: 101191125 — STF — CREA-MEDIA-2024-FESTNET