Overview
The Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival is Finland's only annual film festival dedicated entirely to children and young people. The 45th edition will be held November 9 to 15, 2026, and is part of the official programme of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture. The festival is organized by the Oulu Film Centre (founded 1973) and held at the Cultural Centre Valve in Oulu, Finland. In 2024, more than 170,000 people participated in the festival.
The festival runs four competition categories: the Children's Film Competition, the Youth Film Competition, the Finnish Competition, and the ECFA Short Film Competition. The Children's Film Competition is limited to 15 films. The festival partners with the European Children's Film Association (ECFA), hosting the ECFA Feature Film Competition and ECFA Short Film Competition for the best European children's films.
There is no submission fee. Films are submitted directly to the Oulu Film Centre, not through FilmFreeway. The submission deadline for the 2026 edition is August 5, 2026, with screening copies due in Oulu by September 18, 2026. The festival does not pay screening fees, but competition films are screened a maximum of three times plus one awards screening.
Key Sections
- Children's Film Competition - international feature films for children, minimum 60 minutes, limited to 15 films, jury of children selects the winner
- Youth Film Competition - international feature films for young audiences, minimum 60 minutes, youth jury awards the Global Future Award
- Finnish Competition - new Finnish films for young audiences, no running time restriction, awards the Look at Me... Award
- ECFA Feature Film Competition - best European children's feature film, minimum 60 minutes, selected in partnership with the European Children's Film Association
- ECFA Short Film Competition - best European children's short film, maximum 30 minutes
- Kaleidoscope - non-competitive international programming
- Nordic Junior Sessions - Nordic film screenings for young audiences
- Short Films - curated short film programs
- Special Programme - thematic programming, country focuses, and special events
Submission Details
Eligibility:
- Children's Film Competition, ECFA Feature Film Competition, and Youth Film Competition: minimum running time 60 minutes
- ECFA Short Film Competition: maximum running time 30 minutes
- Finnish Competition: no running time restriction
- Children's Film Competition limited to 15 selected films
Eligible formats: HD/broadcast-quality video file (ProRes, DNxHD/R, etc.), Blu-ray (disc or disc image), DCP, DVD, or film prints (35mm or 16mm)
Submission process:
- Submit directly to the Oulu Film Centre (not via FilmFreeway)
- Entry form must be accompanied by stills, posters, a link to the film trailer, biography, filmography, and a photo of the film director
- No submission fee
- No screening fees paid by the festival
Key dates (45th edition, 2026):
- Film submissions and preview copies due: August 5, 2026
- Screening copies due in Oulu: September 18, 2026
- Festival dates: November 9 to 15, 2026
Screening policy: Films in competition are screened a maximum of three times, plus one awards screening if the film wins. The Children's Film Competition winner receives two awards screenings. The sender is responsible for shipping costs to Oulu. Return shipping is covered by the festival organization within three weeks after the festival closes.
Contact: Antti Leimi, antti.leimi@oufilmcenter.fi, Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival, Oulu Film Centre, Villatehdas B Building, Pikisaarentie 15, 90100 Oulu, Finland
What Filmmakers Should Know
No submission fee, but no screening fee either: The festival does not charge filmmakers to submit, but it also does not pay screening fees for selected films. This is standard practice for children's film festivals in the Nordic region. Filmmakers who require screening fees should not submit.
ECFA partnership and European exposure: Winning an ECFA award at Oulu promotes your film across the ECFA network of European children's film distributors, broadcasters, and festivals. This is more valuable for European children's cinema than a standalone festival prize.
Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture: The 2026 edition is part of Oulu2026, bringing expanded programming, larger audiences, and increased media attention. Filmmakers selected for 2026 benefit from the elevated profile of the Capital of Culture designation.
Educational context is central: The festival's target audience includes kindergartens, elementary schools, and secondary schools throughout Finland. School screenings are a core component of the programme. Filmmakers should expect their film to be seen primarily by organized school groups and families, not by general adult festival audiences.
Nordic children's cinema market: Nordic public broadcasters (YLE, DR, SVT, NRK) co-finance many children's films that screen at Oulu. The festival is a key meeting point for Nordic children's film producers, broadcasters, and distributors, though it does not host a formal film market.
Child's Day Award recognition: In November 2025, the festival received the Child's Day Award from Finland's Minister of Science and Culture, which came with a EUR 9,000 prize. The award has been presented since 1999 to organizations for their work in promoting arts education for children.
Festival director: The festival is directed by Mika Anttolainen, who has built the festival's reputation over multiple editions.
Major Awards
- Children's Film Competition Award - selected by a children's jury from the 15 competing feature films
- Global Future Award - selected by a youth jury from the Youth Film Competition
- Look at Me... Award - selected from the Finnish Competition
- ECFA Award for Best European Children's Feature Film - selected by the ECFA jury
- ECFA Award for Best European Children's Short Film - selected by the ECFA jury
Festival History
The festival has been organized since 1982 by the Oulu Film Centre, founded in 1973 and based at the Cultural Centre Valve in Oulu. It was established to showcase international film production for children and young people and to increase Finnish distributors' interest in children's films.
Over four decades, it has built a reputation as the most important children's film event in the Nordic region. The November timing during the dark Finnish autumn makes it a significant community event. In 2024, more than 170,000 people participated across screenings, school programs, and special events.
The 45th edition (November 9 to 15, 2026) is part of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture. The Child's Day Award in November 2025, presented by Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie, further confirms its national significance in children's arts education.
Past Winners
2025 Award Winners (44th edition):
- Children's Film Competition Award (EUR 2,000): Lampie - Dir. Margien Rogaar (Netherlands). Adaptation of the Golden Stylus-winning children's book by Annet Schaap. Distributed by Studio TF1.
- ECFA Award for Best European Children's Feature: Lampie - Dir. Margien Rogaar (also won the Children's Film Competition)
- ECFA Short Film Award: Summer of Dreams - Dir. Kim Faber
- Global Future Prize (Youth Film Competition): Frank - Dir. Tonis Pill (Estonia). Distributed by Syndicado.
- Look at Me... Award (Finnish Competition): Defiant - Dir. Visa Koiso-Kanttila
2024 Award Winners (43rd edition):
- Children's Film Competition Award (EUR 3,000): Lampo, the Travelling Dog - Dir. Magdalena Niec (Poland)
- ECFA Award: Hakan Brakan 2 - Dir. Ted Kjellsson (Sweden)
- Youth Film Competition: Listen - Dir. Maria Douza
- Finnish Competition: The Elf Ring - Dir. Nellie Rajala
2023 Award Winners (42nd edition):
- Children's Film Competition Award: Hakan Brakan - Dir. Ted Kjellsson (Sweden). The film became a box office success in Sweden, spawning two sequels distributed by Nordisk Film.
- ECFA Award: Totem - Dir. Sander Burger (Netherlands/Germany/Luxembourg)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Oulu has programmed children's films that went on to wider distribution and recognition:
- Hakan Brakan (2023 Children's Film Competition winner) - Dir. Ted Kjellsson. Swedish family comedy based on the popular Sune franchise. Became a box office hit in Sweden with biopremiere on December 25, 2022. Distributed by Nordisk Film. Spawned two sequels: Hakan Brakan 2 (which won the 2024 ECFA Award at Oulu) and Hakan Brakan 003 (2025).
- Lampo, the Travelling Dog (2024 Children's Film Competition winner) - Dir. Magdalena Niec. Polish family film about a remarkable traveling dog. Screened at Giffoni Film Festival and other European children's film festivals.
- My Robot Brother (2022 ECFA Award winner) - Dir. Frederik Norgaard. Danish children's film that screened across European children's festival circuit.
- Lampie (2025 Children's Film Competition and ECFA Award winner) - Dir. Margien Rogaar. Dutch adaptation of Annet Schaap's acclaimed children's book. Distributed by Studio TF1. Previously broadcast as a successful VPRO television series in 2022.
Industry Reputation
Oulu occupies a distinct position in the children's film festival circuit. The main peer festivals are Giffoni (Italy) and Cinekid (Netherlands). Giffoni, founded in 1971, is the larger festival with approximately 100,000 attendees and stronger international profile. Cinekid, held in Amsterdam, focuses on children's media across film, television, and digital platforms.
Oulu's unique strength is its audience reach. According to an ECFA statement, Oulu achieved attendance of 228,301 in 2023 through its online screening program, a level no other European children's film festival has matched. The festival's integration with Finnish schools gives it an educational impact that Giffoni and Cinekid cannot replicate in the same way.
The festival's ECFA partnership makes it a node in the European children's film distribution network. Winning an ECFA award at Oulu promotes a film across 160 organizations in 42 countries. For Nordic children's cinema, Oulu is the primary festival destination. The 2026 edition's inclusion in Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture elevates its profile beyond its usual Nordic reach.
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See Also
Use the Festival ROI Calculator to model the total cost of submitting to and attending the Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival, including travel to Oulu (accessible via direct flights from Helsinki), accommodation during the November festival, and the fact that there is no submission fee but also no screening fee payment. For children's filmmaking and Nordic co-production strategies, read Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For broader festival circuit planning, read Film Festival Strategy.
