Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF)

Overview

The Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) is the largest children's film festival in North America. Founded in 1983 and operated by FACETS, the festival programs approximately 250 films from 40+ countries for audiences ages 2 to 18, with an annual attendance of roughly 23,000 viewers. CICFF is an Academy Award-qualifying festival, making it one of the few children's film festivals with direct Oscar eligibility pathways for short films.

The 40th edition ran November 3 to 19, 2023. FACETS paused the festival for 2024 to conduct a strategic evaluation and restructure its youth programming. The festival returned with its 42nd edition November 3 to 19, 2025, with submissions accepted via FilmFreeway.

CICFF operates through FACETS, a Chicago-based independent cinema organization that also runs a 50,000-title film lending library, year-round youth programs, and venue rentals at its location at 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue. This infrastructure gives the children's festival organizational depth that standalone festivals lack.

Children's cinema is a distinct international genre. Countries including Japan, France, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands produce films for young audiences that match adult art cinema in ambition and craft. CICFF provides North American exposure for this international tradition, programming films that would otherwise have no US distribution path.

Submission Details

CICFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 2025 festival (42nd edition):

Submission fees for the 2023 edition (most recent confirmed rates):

FilmFreeway Gold Members received a 10% discount on all submissions. Fee waivers are available on a case-by-case basis - contact FACETS Youth Programs Coordinator at filmreg@facets.org. Films made by young people 18 and under are submitted free of charge. Verify current fees on the CICFF FilmFreeway page before submitting.

Eligibility Requirements

• Films must be appropriate for young audiences (ages 2 to 18+).
• CICFF accepts both adult-produced films and films made by children and youth.
• Categories include live action, animation, documentary, and experimental work.
• Films from all countries are eligible.
• English subtitles are required for non-English films.
• The festival programs both competitive and non-competitive sections.

Competition Sections

• International Feature Competition - narrative features for children competing for jury prizes
• Short Film Competition - short films for young audiences (Academy Award-qualifying)
• Animation Competition - animated films for children across age categories
• Documentary Program - nonfiction films appropriate for young audiences
• Youth-Produced Film Program - films made by filmmakers 18 and under
• My First Movies - short film programs designed for very young children (ages 2 to 5)

Awards and Prizes

CICFF presents jury and audience awards. The festival's Academy Award-qualifying status means that winning the qualifying short film award makes the film eligible for Oscar submission.

• Best Feature for Children - adult jury prize
• Best Short Film for Children - adult jury prize (Academy Award-qualifying)
• Children's Jury Award - voted by young audience members who participate as jurors
• Audience Award - voted by festival attendees across all screenings
• Youth Jury Award - films evaluated by peer jurors in the youth-produced category

The Children's Jury is a distinctive element. Films in qualifying categories are evaluated by young audience members who participate in a structured jury process, meaning films are assessed by their actual intended audience rather than only by adult programmers.

What Filmmakers Should Know

CICFF is the most important North American competitive platform for international children's cinema. If you have made a film for young audiences, this festival offers the strongest combination of Academy Award qualification, international exposure, and industry recognition in the children's film sector.

The free submission category for youth-produced films (filmmakers 18 and under) makes CICFF accessible to student and young filmmaker submissions without financial barriers. If you are an educator or youth program coordinator, this is a viable submission target for student work.

The 2024 pause and strategic restructuring means the festival's format and programming direction may have shifted under new leadership. Check the FACETS website for the most current information on sections, venues, and programming focus before submitting.

The festival's hands-on filmmaking workshops and post-screening Q&A sessions with filmmakers create additional engagement opportunities. These are not standard at most film festivals and can be valuable for filmmakers seeking direct audience interaction.

Festival History

CICFF was founded in 1983 by FACETS, a Chicago independent cinema organization established in 1975. The festival grew over four decades into the largest children's film festival in North America, programming 250 films from 40 countries annually and welcoming 23,000 attendees.

The 40th anniversary edition in November 2023 was the last festival before FACETS announced a pause for 2024. The organization used the pause to conduct a strategic evaluation of its youth programs and restructure its festival operations. FACETS stated the pause would result in "a new vision for the festival and all youth programs, to be rolled out in 2025."

The festival returned with its 42nd edition in November 2025. CICFF has historically been an Academy Award-qualifying festival for short films, placing it among a small number of US festivals with direct Oscar eligibility for children's cinema.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For animation festivals, see Ottawa International Animation Festival. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the CICFF FilmFreeway page.