"The club shows that there is a very lively and well working network of children’s film festivals around the globe. In smaller and larger (online) meetings the members will discuss the film program of SCHLiNGEL and at the end they will award a special film in each of the three SCHLiNGEL age categories (children, junior and youth film)."

He is the operative director of the Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival, which is organized annually in November by the Oulu Film Centre. As a gentle contrast to children’s films he has also been involved with IIK!! Horror Film Festival in Ii from its beginning, where he was the chairman of the board for 14 years. He is a board member of Media Education Center Metka in Helsinki and the Oulu Night of Arts, an annual event where all kinds of arts forms meet.

Josep Arbiol is President of the International Festival Union for Children, Youth and Teachers MICE (Mostra Internacional de Cinema Educatiu), which includes screening places in Valencia and Madrid (Spain), Havana (Cuba) and Western Sahara. Furthermore, Josep Arbiol is also Festival Co-director of MICE Havana. Born in Estivella (Valencia) and educated at the University of Valencia, the teacher and producer has a long audiovisual career in media and has mentored in educational films with children. His job is to provide more channels for young people’s creativity.

Anna Asplund works as Artistic Director of Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival. Anna’s educational background is in digital media, she studied in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Lapland. Before joining the festival, she has worked in the field of media education and games. Anna believes that film creates incredible learning opportunities and the world indeed can change through film education.

Jo-Anne Blouin is head of the International Film Festival für Kinder FIFEM (Festival International du film pour enfants de Montréal), which she has created. At the age of 16, in her native Quebec, she began working in theatres for children and embarked in the heady world of creating collective works. Later on, she shifted focus to children’s films and created the FIFEM. She believes children should have access to films from many cultures. In 2018, she received the Honorary Award from SCHLINGEL Festival.

Ekaterina Bordacheva graduated from the Russian Film Institute VGIK in 2006. Her career in the film industry started in 2003 as an assistant film producer in the production company for children and youth films “Rakurs”. Since 2008, she has been heading several film, cinema and festival activities in public and private distribution companies, for instance the direction of the regional cinema network “Mosoblkino”, the children’s film programme “Your Movie” of the Siberian Film Festival “Spirit of Fire” and the Russian Film Market Moscow. Currently she heads in Moscow the International Filmmaker and Russian Film Bussines Forum.

Liset Cotera is founder and director of the International Children’s Film Festival “... and not so Boys” and the organisation La Matatena. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Xochimilco in Mexico City with a degree in Social Communication and works as a film producer and promoter for children in Mexico. She specializes in the design and creation of methodologies to impart and introduce children to cinematic arts.

Marion Røst Heimlund started to work for at Norway’s largest International Children’s Film Festival in Kristiansand (KICFF) as programmer in august 2021. Since 2007, she has been actively engaged with the film industry and, among others, worked for Tromsø International Film Festival. She is the children and youth representative in the board of the Film Club Association.

Jaroslav Hynštová has been working as a film programmer at Zlín Film Festival – International Film Festival for Children and Youth since 2005. She studied at the Palacky University in Olomouc Film and English Philology. She is a journalist, screenwriter and director of an amateur theatre group, where she also writes plays. Jaroslava Hynštová was regional correspondent for the biggest Czech newspaper.

Marta Jodko studied Art History at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. As an educator, she worked with the Film Academy and the National Museum in Poznan. Marta Jodko has been working as a programmer at the International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!, and the children part of the Animated Film Festival Animator since 2010.

Kim Sang-hwa is Festival Executive Director of BIKY, Busan International Kids & Youth Film Festival and Executive Committee Member of BIFF, Busan International Film Festival, which both are held annually in South Korea.

Since being retired from his position as a professor of the animation department at a university a few years ago, Kim Sang-hwa has been a co-representative of the company “Playingman” which plans and organizes various cultural events. He is also producing films and giving lectures about the subjects of film reading. Additionally, he is the chariman of the steering committee of the Korean Academy of Film Arts.

Aska Kishi has been a member of Kineko International Children’s Film Festival since 2016. She worked as a PR staff for one of Japan’s biggest security companies and is currently working as an executive manager and chief programming director.

Mats Leonartsson is Programming assistant and head of communication at BUFF Malmö Film Festival, the largest film festival for young people in Sweden. Måns Leonartsson is also a board member of FOMP – the association for film and media education in Sweden, a touring musician and a film enthusiast.

Betty Li Yan is programmer of China International Children’s Film Festival (CIFF). In 2011, she started as a volunteer for the festival and later became the international coordinator for both the festival and China Children’s Film Association. Additionally, she is a producer for co-productions and holds a bachelor’s degree of Architecture from Zhengjiang University and a master’s degree of Film Art from Beijing Film Academy.

Elisabeth Lichtkoppler has been one of the organizers of the international Children’s Film Festival Vienna for more than 25 years. Since 1991, she is the Managing Director of the Children’s and Youth Cinema cinemagic, which is owned by the social profit company WIENXTRA and helps to organize many innovative children’s and youth activities.

Daniel Lundquist is the Head of Programming at BUFF – International Film Festival for Children and Young People since 2012. He started working at BUFF in 2009, after he graduated in Arts Administration and worked in various positions of the Swedish Film Institute and the City of Malmö Culture Department.

Jitendra Mishra is one of the few Indian film producers & promoters who have been able to create a benchmark in “Alternative methods of Film Production, Distribution & Promotion” at international level. He had designed & is the festival director of the “Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth” (SIFFCY). Jitendra Mishra also has been elected president of CIFEJ and is a member of the Cannes Producers Network.

Pantelis Panteloglou studied Social Anthropology in Athens and has a master’s degree in Social Exclusion and Minorities. Since 2011, he has been working for the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People and meanwhile became its deputy artistic director. He got his expertise from working in various creative and technical positions for film festivals, television and theatre.

Markéta Pášmová comes from Moravian Zlín from a traditional film family. She graduated from the Philosophical Faculty of the Masaryk University in Brno. In 1999 she as a programme organiser at Zlín Film Festival, then as the head of the programme department. Since 2013, she has been working as the Artistic Director of the festival. As the head organiser of the festival she is particularly active in the field of educational programs for children and youth.

Deidre Searcy is the film programmer at FACETS Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, a media educator and arts education expert with 20 years of experience. She is the former Project Director at Education Development Center and has designed and led workshops for youth and adults. She engaged with Street-Level Youth Media where she worked to position media arts as a catalyst for change in inner city schools.

Mike Tait is Festival Producer of the Discovery Film Festival, an international film festival for young audiences. He is functioning as a promoter for high-quality productions for children and youth. He’s also the coordinator of the DYAs, a group of youths who act as young programmers for the festival. Besides, he also promotes film education in schools.

Maria-Christina Villaseñor oversees the film research, selection and curation process for the New York International Children’s Film Festival; programming of the Industry Forum, and guides the film selections for FilmEd Classroom and Touring programs. Her previous posts include serving as Associate Curator of Film and Media Arts at the Guggenheim Museum.

Alejandra Fritis Zapata is foundress and director of “Ojo de Pescado” (The Fish Eye) International Film Festival of Children and Youth from Valparaíso. She is a producer, documentary filmmaker, specialist in children and young audiences’ cinema contents, and teacher of audiovisual literacy. She teaches filmmaking for children, youth and diverse communities. She is also the foundress and head of the international seminar “The childhood wants cinema”.