Festival Director SCHLiNGEL | Chemnitz | Germany

The club shows that there is a very lively and well-functioning 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's, junior and youth film).

Festival Director MICE | Valencia | Spain

Josep Arbiol is the founder and President of the International Festival Union for Children, Youth and Teachers MICE (Mostra Internacional de Cinema Educatiu), which includes among others screening places in Valencia and Madrid (Spain), Havana (Cuba) and Western Sahara. Furthermore, Josep Arbiol is also Festival Director of MICE Valencia and furthermore programmer for MICE Valencia, Madrid and Cuba. Born in Estivella (Valencia) and educated at the University of Valencia, the teacher and director has a long audiovisual career in media and has mentored in educational films with children. He is also the president of the Cultural Association “Jordi el Mussol” in Valencia.

Festival DirectorTromsø International Film Festival Junior (TIFF Junior) | Norway

Astrid Aure is the festival director of the Tromsø International Film Festival children’s edition, TIFF Junior, and has been with the festival since 2014. She works with children and young people year-round and is also the programme director for the “Films from the North“ programme at Tromsø International Film Festival. She studied Journalism and also completed a Masterʼs degree in Film Studies.

Festival Producer, Cinema Young Audiences Coordinator Discovery Film Festival | Dundee | UK (Scotland)

Amaya Bañuelos Marco is a film curator and educator. She is the Discovery Film Festival Producer at Dundee Contemporary Arts in Scotland and also works with the British Film Institute designing and delivering Spanish language study days for children. She co-curates Cinetopia:DOC in Edinburgh, a monthly programme of recent creative documentary films. In the past she hast been a part of the programming teams of several festivals, like BFI London Film Festival and Lago Film Fest.

Festival Director and Artistic Director  Festival International du film pour enfants de Montréal (FIFEM) | Canada

Jo-Anne Blouin is head of the International Film Festival für Kinder FIFEM, 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. Until 2008, Jo-Anne Blouin was CIFEJ’s Executive Director and in 2018, she received the Honorary Award from SCHLiNGEL Festival.

Head of the business platform of the IFF Almaty (Kazakhstan) | Moskau | Russland

Ekaterina Bordacheva is co-founder of the “Eurasian Film Market” in Kazakhstan and Head of the business platform of the Almaty IFF. She started in the film industry in 2003 as an assistant film producer in the production company for children and youth films “Rakurs” and graduated from the Russian Film University VGIK in 2006. Ekaterina Bordacheva has experiences as producer, film lecturer, event manager, film distributor and programme curator for European children’s and youth film festivals. Since 2013, she has been a top manager of the International Film Market and the Russian Film Business Forum in Moscow. 

Artistic Director Children’s International Film Festival (CHIFF) | Melbourne | Australia

Thomas Caldwell is a writer, broadcaster, film critic and film programmer living in Melbourne, Australia. He is the Artistic Director of the Children’s International Film Festival (CHIFF) and the Executive Director of St Martins Youth Arts Centre. Previously, he was part of the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Europa! Europa Film Festival.

Festival Director Festival Comkids | São Paulo | Brasil  

Beth Carmona is an experienced and respected professional in the broadcasting industry and in the field of childrenʼs and cultural media in Brazil. With more than 30 years of experience, she is currently Vice President at TV Cultura, where she oversees programming, content and production. From 2003 to 2007, she was President of the public broadcaster TVE Roquette Pinto. She is currently President of Midiativa, the organiser of the Comkids Festival. During her career, she has worked for Discovery and Disney Channel Brazil, among others, produced studies and reports as a consultant for UNESCO and other organisations, and served as an executive producer.

Festival Director, Founder | Athens International Children’s Film Festival (ATHICFF) | Greece

Calliope Charalambous Krief founded the Athens International Childreʼs Film Festival in 2018 and has been its festival director ever since. She also works as a producer for theatre and television, and has additionally worked as a director in these fields, being involved in the production of TV shows, music and corporate events. She holds a Bachelorʼs degree in Humanities from the University of Athens and a Masterʼs degree in Theatre Direction from the RADA and Kingʼs College, University of London.

Festival Director Festival La Matatena Internacional de Cine para Niños (...y no tan Niños) | Mexico

María Liset Cotera García is founder and since 30 years the director of the International Children’s Film Festival (... and not so Children) and of La Matatena, an Association of Film for Girls and Boys, A.C. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Xochimilco in Mexico City with a degree in Social Communication and works as a film producer, cultural manager and promoter for children in Mexico. She specialises in the field of design and the creation of methods to bring children closer to the world in moving images. María Liset Cotera García is also an advocate for children’s rights.

Former Executive Director DYTIATKO International Children’s Media Festival | Charkiw | Ukraine

Volodymyr Diagilev was the executive director of the DYTIATKO International Children's Media Festival in Kharkiv until 2022. He is a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and Head of the Kharkiv Association of Children’ Screen Arts DYTIATKO. Volodymyr Diagilev is also the founder of the educational project “Children of Miss Peregrine” and head of a youth film club.

Festival Director, Founder Ojo de Pescado | Valparaiso | Chile

Alejandra Fritis Zapata is foundress and director of “Ojo de Pescado” (The Fish Eye) International Film Festival of Children and Youth from Chile. She is a producer, documentary filmmaker, specialist in children and young audiencesʼ cinema contents, and teacher of audiovisual literacy. She is also the foundress and head of the international seminar “The childhood wants cinema” and director of the documentary television serie “My rural school” about Chilean countryside schools.

Festival Director BUFF Malmö Film Festival | Malmö | Sweden

Julia Granath graduated from the University of Malmö with a Bachelor of Science in Media and Communication. She has worked at BUFF in Malmö since 2007 and has been its festival director since December 2012. Previously, she was Head of Education at the regional film fund Film i Skåne and project manager at the regional fund Film Stockholm. She believes that film experiences can help young people to better understand life and expand their world.

Festival Director, Programmer | Just Film Youth and Childrenʼs Film Festival | Tallinn | Estonia

Mikk Granström, PhD, is film educator and festival director. Since 2005, he has been involved with the Black Nights Film Festival, where he currently serves as a board member and head of administration, as well as director and programmer of Just Film, the festival’s youth and children’s section. Over the past 17 years, he has taught film in primary and secondary schools, directed several short films, and worked as a television editor.

Festival Director, Curator Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) | Taipeh |Taiwan

Wuan-ling Guo has been working in the TV industry for more than 30 years as producers of news programs, children’s programs, and documentaries. Since 2014, she has been serving as the director and curator for Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) and Best of INPUT in Taiwan. 

Programmer Zlín Film Festival | Czech Republic

Jaroslav Hynštová has been working as a film programmer at Zlín Film Festival – International Film Festival for Children and Youth since 2005. She studied Film and English Philology at the Palacky University in Olomouc. 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.

Artistic Director Ale Kino! | Poznań | Polen

Marta Jodko studied Art History at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. She has been working as a programmer at the International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!, Biennial Art for Children, and the Children part of the Animated Film Festival Animator since 2010. Since 2022, she has been the main coordinator of Ale Kino! and a board member of the ECFA.

Secretary General China Children’s Film Association | Bejing | China

Hong Li is an award-winning Chinese director who has directed several television series and films in the past, including 17 childrenʼs films. She has been described by the Chinese media as an “educator for children“. In addition, she is the Secretary General of the China Childrenʼs Film Association, the organisation responsible for running the China International Childrenʼs Film Festival (CICFF).

Programmer CICFF | Beijing | China

Yuan Li 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. 

Program Director  Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival (BIKY) | South Korea

Sang-yong Lee is the program director of the Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival. Furthermore he works as a film critic as well as a writer and wrote among others for the Film Weekly Film 2.0 Step Critic. Previously, he was as a programmer part of the International Film Festival in Busan and in Jeonju in South Korea.

Head of Communications, Programmer BUFF Malmö Film Festival | Malmö | Sweden

Måns Leonartsson is the head of communications and part of the programming team at BUFF Malmö Filmfestival, Sweden’s leading film festival for a young audience. He is also working with BUFF’s film distribution and film club for young people.

Artistic Director, Film Maker, Lecturer | Tel Aviv | Israel

Noy Levin is an artistic director, filmmaker, and cinema lecturer. She previously directed the Tel Aviv International Children’s Film Festival (TAICFF) and now works independently, curating short film programs for young audiences and delivering lectures in cultural and educational settings.

Co-director International Childrenʼs Film Festival Vienna | Austria

Elisabeth Lichtkoppler has been one of the organizers of the international Children’s Film Festival Vienna for nearly 30 years years. Since 1991, she is the Managing Director of the Children’s and Youth Cinema CINEMAGIC, which is a part of WIENXTRA, which helps to plan and organize many innovative childrenʼs and youth activities. The CINEMAGIC is also the cinema for the festival.

Festival Director SIFFCY | New Delhi | India

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.

Senior Adviser, Programmer Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival | Norway

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.

Researcher, Organzier | Cultural Research Institute „Juan Marinello“, MICE Cuba | Havanna | Cuba

Daimelis Monzón Wat graduated in Psychology and has more than 20 years of experience in the cultural sector. She works as a researcher at the “Juan Marinello” Cultural Research Institute and researchs in the field „Childrenʼs audiovisual consumption in Cuba from multiple screens“. She is part of the team that coordinates the UNIAL Network and the MICE Cuba International Educational Film Festival.

Program Adviser Ale Kino! | Poznań | Poland

Jerzy Moszkowicz is a theatre and television director and advisor specialising in films for children and young people. Most recently, he worked as a coordinator of Polish film programmes for international festivals in countries such as India, Mexico and Japan. He is the former director of the Ale Kino! International Film Festival for Young Audiences in Poznań, for which he now works as a programme advisor. He was also president of CIFEJ and a board member of ECFA. He is currently an honorary member of both organisations.

Programme Selection, Artistic Directing Team | Giffoni Film Festival | Giffoni Valle Piana | Italy

Graduated in Literary Disciplines, Gianvincenzo Nastasi has been collaborating with the Giffoni Experience for 20 years. First as a host of events dedicated to children and related to cinema and later as a host of one of the competitive sections of the Giffoni Film Festival. As an Executive Producer he oversaw all the video productions of the festival and until 2021 he was director of the Video Production Department. For about 15 years he has been managing the selection of films for the +18 category and now he is part of the Artistic Direction team.

 

Deputy Artistic Director Olympia Film Festival | Athens | Greece

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. In February 2022 he was elected on the board of the European Children’s Film Association and since February 2023 he took over as president.

Artistic Director Zlín Film Festival | Czech Republic

Markéta Pášmová graduated from the Faculty of Arts in Brno. She is the Artistic Director of the Zlín Film Festival. She has been involved with the festival since 1999 and has held the position of Artistic Director since 2013. Her focus is on European cinema for young audiences, and she actively participates in educational programs for children and youth. She is also a board member of the FILMTALENT ZLÍN Endowment Fund. As part of the Zlín Film Festival, she leads the Zlín Industry Days program. Furthermore, she is engaged in international film activities, whether as a jury member or an expert in children's and youth cinema.

 

Art Administrator at Hong Kong SAR Government | China

Yvonne Tse is an art administrator in the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR government. Over the past decade, she has managed venues, overseen music programs, and secured funding for arts groups. Since joining the Film Programmes Office in 2022, she has organized Hong Kongʼs largest childrenʼs film festival, the Summer Family Cine Fest, and initiated the Summer of Light: Cinematic Adventure, two-day film workshops for families, in 2025.

 

Programm Director Kristiansand International Children’s Film | Norway

Marion Røst Heimlund is program director at the Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival (BFF) and has worked in the film industry since 2007. She was Marketing Director at Aurora Kino and part of the founding team behind TIFF Junior. She also served on the Marketing Council of Tromsø International Film Festival and sits on the board of the Norwegian Federation of Film Societies (NFK). With a master’s degree from Chile and studies in Norway, Spain and Latvia, she brings an international perspective to her work with children and youth in film.

Programmer TIFF Next Wave Film Festival | Toronto | Canada

Ikoro Sekai is a Toronto-based film curator. Since 2016, he has worked at the Toronto International Film Festival, overseeing the program for young audiences and emerging filmmakers. He is the lead programmer for the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, Canada’s largest festival curated for and by youth, celebrating the future of cinema. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University. With his work, he is dedicated to the intersection of art and community, using film to connect, inspire, and empower young creators.

Programming Director | New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) | USA

Maria-Christina Villaseñor is the Director of Programming for the Oscar-qualifying New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF), the largest film festival for young audiences in North America. She's also a writer, media arts curator, speaker and juror.Her recent projects include curating a special short film program, Native Stories, centering new films by and about Indigenous communities across the globe and an animated documentary podcast for DOK Leipzig. She loves bright colors, dark cinemas, and meeting new filmmakers and audiences. 

Co-Director | International Childrenʼs Film Festival Vienna | Austria

Mag.a. Ines Wagner holds a diploma in German studies as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism – both with a specialisation in childrenʼs and youth literature. During her studies in Graz and Vienna she worked as an assistant director for film. Since 2005, she has been working as a freelance journalist in the field of children's and youth culture. She has been directing the International Childrenʼs Film Festival Styria since 2009 and began working as a project manager of the Austria-wide project Kinderkinowelten in the same year. Since 2024, she has been the co-director of the International Childrenʼs Film Festival Vienna.

Chief Programming Director | KINEKO International Children’s Film Festival | Tokyo | Japan

Daisuke Yokoyama graduated from the Vocal Music Department of Kunitachi College in 2006. He was a member of the Shiki Theatre Company as a stage performer and was the main host of a Japanese childrenʼs television programme on the public broadcaster NHK. He then worked as an actor and voice actor and released two music albums as a solo artist. He has been serving as a special supporter for the KINEKO International Film Festival in 2017. In 2024, he assumed the role of Chief Programming Director for the festival.