"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.

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 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.

Volodymyr Diagilev is the executive director of the DYTIATKO International Children's Media Festival in Kharkiv. He is a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and Head of the Kharkiv Association of Children's Screen Arts “Dytiatko”. Volodymyr Diagilev is also the organizer of the scenario pitching for Ukrainian children’s studios.

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.

In 2007, Julia Jarl started to work for the BUFF Film Festival, the largest film festival for young audiences in Sweden that seeks to inspire a better self-image in young people and an inclusive society through valuable film experiences. She has been the festival director since 2012. Julia Jarl believes that stories told from its young perspective can challenge and enrich people of all ages.

Mariella Harpelunde Jensen works as the Head of Programme at the Danish children’s film festival Buster. Furthermore she is an autodidact director, scriptwriter, and author and has directed and scripted several TV-series, documentaries, and short films, including programs for children and series and films for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s channels Ramasjang and Ultra.

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.

Kostas Korres is head of the Educational Department of the Olympia International Film Festival for children and young people. He has professional experience in socio-cultural management and informal education in Greece, Portugal and Germany, especially in film education and history education. Kostas Korres was the founder of the award-winning intercultural educational program for refugee children Ani-Mate & Meet the Other.

Martina Lassacher studied Comparative Literature, English and Spanish, she got her PhD in 1986. After that, she lectured Film Theory at different universities in Austria. She is the Co-director of the International Children’s Film Festival Vienna and General Manager of the Institut Pitanga, which is responsible for the Film Festival, and also of the Children’s Cinema Worlds Austria and other projects.

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.

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.

From 1998 to 2020, Danckert Monrad-Krohn was director of Kristiansand ICFF. During his career, he worked as a film teacher at Agder Folk High School, worked as a children’s film consultant for Kristiansand Kino, organised school screenings, film workshops and teacher training programmes. He has also been a member of the Guarantee Committee, which provides economic support for the import of children's films to Norway, and the Screen Education. Danckert Monrad-Krohn was deputizing as Children’s Film Consultant for The Norwegian Cinema and Film Foundation in 2002.

Jerzy Moskowicz is the Artistic Director of International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino! in Poznań, Poland. Futhermore the works as a arts manager and stage director, is an author for theatre performances, TV films and programmes for children and young adults. In the past he was the president of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People – CIFEJ and board member of the ECFA – European Children’s Film Association.

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.

Ikoro Sekai, who goes by this name professionally, is a Toronto-based film programmer, media artist and youth facilitator. He graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal. Since 2016, he has worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as the Senior Coordinator of Youth Impact and is the the lead programmer for the annual TIFF Next Wave Film Festival. Together with the Committee of the festival Ikoro Sekai curates the festival's lineup of films, industry talks, and events for young audiences.He cares deeply about using media to empower young and emerging creators.

Mitsuo Tahira founded the Children’s Film Festival Japan, now KINEKO, Japan’s first international children's film festival. He established the "Live Cinema", where films for children are dubbed in Japanese live in the cinema hall. In addition to his work at KINEKO, he cultivates cooperation with foreign film festivals, has been networking with Japanese filmmakers overseas for years and is committed to organizing film screenings for young children up to teenagers.

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.

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”.