Name: LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Fans 2026
Start: 2026-09-24T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
Location: DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum

LUCAS Film Festival

About LUCAS Film Festival

LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Fans is Germany's oldest film festival for young audiences. The 49th edition will run from September 24 to October 1, 2026, centered around the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen. Competing films are for children, teenagers, and young adults aged 3 to 18+. LUCAS is more than just a film festival; it's an educational and participatory platform for young people, offering opportunities from festival reporter accreditation to jury participation for those aged 10-18.

Dates 24 Sep — 01 Oct 2026

Venue Frankfurt am Main (06412)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

LUCAS Film Festival — edition 2026

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49th LUCAS Film Festival at DFF Frankfurt with competitions in the Kids, Teens, and Youngsters sections for audiences aged 3 to 18+. International feature films, short films, and animations, plus a festival reporter program and young juries.

Eight festival days across multiple venues – the main location is the DFF on Schaumainkai. Applications for the short film competitions in the Kids and Teens sections were accepted via FilmFreeway until April 27, 2026.

Highlights LUCAS Film Festival 2026

49th edition
Germany's oldest children's film festival
Three competition sections: Kids/Teens/Youngsters
Young juries decide on the awards
International film guests at DFF

Programme LUCAS Film Festival 2026

Competition Sections

Kids – Films for children aged 8+
Teens – Films for teenagers aged 13+
Youngsters – Films for young adults aged 16+
Short film competition (up to 30 minutes) in the Kids and Teens sections

Venues

DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum (Schaumainkai 41) – Main venue
Partner cinemas in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region
School screenings for classes from the region

Participation Formats

Kids Jury (Ages 10–12 during the festival week)
Teens Jury (Ages 14–18, English proficiency required)
Festival Reporters and young moderators
Film review and curation workshops

Film Discussions

Discussions with international directors and producers
Q&A sessions following screenings

Prices LUCAS Film Festival 2026

Single tickets and festival passes available via lucas-filmfestival.de. School screenings are booked separately. Winning films in the short film competitions receive cash prizes.

Practical information

Practical information — LUCAS Film Festival

Getting Here

Subway lines U1/U2/U3/U8 to Schweizer Platz, then a 5-minute walk to Schaumainkai. By car: Parkhaus Holbeinstraße or Tiefgarage Untermainkai.

Tickets

Tickets and accreditation are available via lucas-filmfestival.de. School screenings for classes are organized separately.

Get Involved

Applications for juries, festival reporters, and workshop participation are accepted via the official website – usually in the spring before the festival.

49 Years of LUCAS

LUCAS was founded in 1974, making it Germany's oldest film festival for young audiences. It is organized by the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum e.V., one of Germany's most important film institutions. For nearly five decades, the festival has significantly shaped children's film programming in Germany, serving as one of the few platforms that showcase international children's films beyond major commercial productions.

Competition in Three Sections

LUCAS features three competition categories: Kids (ages 8+), Teens (ages 13+), and Youngsters (ages 16+). Young jurors, alongside professional juries, decide on the awards. The festival screens international feature films, short films, animations, and documentaries from around the world – beyond the mainstream.

Venue: DFF at Frankfurt's Museum Embankment

The main venue is the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum at Schaumainkai 41 in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen, located right on the Museum Embankment. Additionally, screenings take place in school and neighborhood cinemas in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region, forming a dense network of cinemas that LUCAS utilizes during the festival week.

Participate, Don't Just Watch

A characteristic feature is the involvement of young people beyond just being audience members: they serve on juries, host events, write film reviews as festival reporters, and curate special programs. The Kids Jury consists of 10- to 12-year-olds, and the Teens Jury comprises 14- to 18-year-olds with English language skills.

DFF as Organizer

The DFF — Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum on Schaumainkai is one of Germany's most important film institutions. It operates the renowned Film Museum Frankfurt, the German Film Institute with its film archive, and several festivals, including the B3 (Biennial for Moving Image) alongside LUCAS. With LUCAS, the DFF covers a segment of film culture often underserved by commercial structures: sophisticated children's films from around the world.