33rd International Children's Film Festival Schwäbisch Gmünd (kikife)

33 Years of Film Culture for Children

The International Children's Film Festival Schwäbisch Gmünd – kikife for short – is one of the oldest and most renowned children's and youth film festivals in Germany. Held annually since 1993, the 33rd edition in 2026 is a testament to the festival's consistency and quality. kikife is organized by the Cultural Office of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd (Ostalb district, state of Baden-Württemberg) – a city that has made a name for itself as a cultural hub with the 2014 State Garden Show and its historic old town.

Program of the 33rd Edition

From March 16th to 22nd, 2026, a total of 30 films from around the world will be shown at the Traumpalast and Brazilkino. The focus is on the international competition for children's and youth films, where six productions from various European countries will compete for two awards in 2026:

• Slovenia
• Spain
• Denmark
• Poland
• Czech Republic
• France

Awards Ceremony and Gala

The Closing Gala will take place on Saturday, March 21st, 2026, at 5 PM at the Traumpalast – with free admission. The gala will be hosted by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Alexandra Staib. Two awards will be presented:

• Prize of the Kreissparkasse Ostalb — Main prize of the expert jury
• Best Actor / Best Actress — Acting award

Expected Guests

• Klemen Dvornik — Slovenian director (Critics' Jury Prize 2025 for "Block 5")
• Norbert Lechner — Director of "Das geheime Stockwerk"
• Samuel Muller — Child actor from "Sommer in Sommerby"

Two Juries: Children and Adults

As has been tradition at kikife for years, there are two parallel competition juries:

• Children's Jury — Children and young people evaluate the films from their perspective
• Expert Jury — Film educators, directors, film critics

The separate evaluations often lead to exciting discussions and different award outcomes.

Workshops for Young Filmmakers

• Short Film Workshop — from March 4th to 8th, professional production with casting
• Animation Workshop — led by Alexander Weller at the Hector Children's Academy
• Screenwriting Workshop — from March 19th to 21st with screenwriter Alexandre Powelz from Berlin

Educational Accompanying Materials

Students from the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education are developing discussion materials for selected films for school classes. School screenings can be booked since the festival started in 2026.