About the festival
Last updated September 27, 2026
Canada Kids Film Festival® is Canada's National Children's Film Festival & International Children's Media Summit.
Inspiring Young Minds. Connecting the World.
Every fall we celebrate exceptional children's films from Canada and more than 150 countries, discover emerging young filmmakers, and connect communities across cultures — because we believe kids belong in the director's chair as often as in the audience. The festival started in Ontario and is growing province by province, territory by territory, with the goal of a screening in every province and territory of Canada by 2030.
Five programs, one festival
- National — Canadian productions on a signature provincial/territorial → national pathway: films are recognized locally first, then compete for national honours.
- International — official selection and competition for children's cinema from around the world.
- Indigenous — a dedicated platform for Indigenous storytelling, built and juried with Indigenous community leadership.
- Made by Kids — films directed by young people themselves, judged on creativity, originality and imagination ahead of technical polish.
- World Focus — an annual spotlight on one country's history of children's cinema, in cultural exchange rather than competition.
How a winner is chosen
Every film moves through the same three stages: a selection panel decides what screens, a specialized jury scores it inside its section, and our Academy of Kids Content™ — the filmmakers, educators and industry professionals who carry the festival's standards from year to year — casts the final vote for Top Nominee and winner. Some categories also open to a public vote.
Our symbol
Our symbol is the beaver family: grandparents, parents and five kids from 1 to 16. Like the festival, they are three generations who love stories.