Locarno Film Festival is making a meaningful investment in the next generation of audiences with the full selection of Locarno Kids Screenings at its 79th edition, taking place from August 5 to 15, 2026.
For the first time, the section becomes competitive, with a youth jury set to award the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare. It is a smart and important move from Locarno, one that gives younger viewers not only access to cinema, but also an active role in recognizing and celebrating it.
For the industry, this matters. Festivals often speak about the need to build future audiences, but Locarno is putting that idea into practice by giving films for children and teenagers a more visible and curated place inside its official program. At a time when young viewers are surrounded by endless digital content, creating a festival space where they can discover international cinema, engage with stories from different countries and feel that their opinion counts is a valuable cultural gesture.
A Competition Built for Young Audiences
This first competitive edition of Locarno Kids Screenings brings together seven feature films, all presented as world or international premieres. The lineup shows a strong international identity, with titles from Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, France, Luxembourg and Germany.
Among the selected films are Derborence le temps des animaux (Derborence The Age of Animals) by Vincent Chabloz, If Luck Will Come by Camille Bildsøe, and L’estate che finì due volte (The Summer That Ended Twice) by Matteo Incollu.
Also competing are Los Nuevos (The Newcomers) by Rodrigo Plá, Mu-Ki-Ra by Estefanía Piñeres Duque, New York, Miriam et moi (Children of Liberty) by Rémy Schaepman and Léahn Vivier-Chapas, and Paradeisa by Marleen Valien.
Rather than treating children’s cinema as a secondary part of the festival, Locarno Film Festival is presenting these films as discoveries in their own right. That distinction is important, especially for producers, sales companies and distributors working in the young audience space, where festival visibility can help titles travel internationally.
Giving Young Viewers a Real Voice
One of the strongest aspects of the new format is the presence of a youth jury. By allowing young people to decide the winner of the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare, the festival is recognizing them as active spectators, not just passive viewers.
That approach feels especially relevant today. Films for younger audiences are often judged mainly by adults, from programmers and critics to buyers and educators. Locarno Film Festival’s decision gives young viewers the chance to respond directly to stories created for them, making the section more authentic and more connected to its audience.
It also sends a positive message to the industry: children and teenagers deserve ambitious cinema, international stories and festival experiences that take their perspective seriously.
Special Events and Animation in Focus
Alongside the competition, Locarno Kids Screenings will present Cercatori d’Angeli (Angel Seekers) by Leopoldo Pescatore as a Special Event. The Italy-Switzerland production will have its world premiere at the festival, adding a strong regional connection to the section.
Closing the program will be Carmen, l’oiseau rebelle (Viva Carmen) by Sébastien Laudenbach, presented as a Swiss premiere. The animated feature brings the section to an end with a title that connects music, imagination and visual storytelling, underlining the importance of animation within the young audience landscape.
Locarno’s decision to strengthen Locarno Kids Screenings arrives at a moment when the industry is paying closer attention to how new generations discover film. By creating a competitive space for younger audiences, the festival is doing more than expanding its program. It is helping build a stronger bridge between cinema, education, international storytelling and the viewers who will shape the future of the medium.
