Like You Children’s Film Festival (LYCFF) is an annual film festival presented by Like You Film Club, a non-profit organization. Our mission is to equip kids to better understand themselves and the world around them through the power of film and creative media. Our programs support the mental health and emotional intelligence of kids through entertaining and thought-provoking stories that spark wonder and foster resilience.

Like You Children's Film Festival is all about friends, family, film, and fun. We do everything we can to rethink the movie-going experience with kids in mind, and that includes the kid-at-heart grownups who love family friendly films.

Hosted at the MoSH Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, we show films in their famous GIANT SCREEN theater. This 40 foot tall immersive screen is an opportunity for audiences and filmmakers to see independent cinema like they've never seen it before. Additional screenings also take place in the cozy-by-comparison Deep End Theater.

Our festival strives to be "more than just screen time." We lead guided conversations exploring the themes of each film, offer filmmaker Q&A's, and plan all sorts of fun workshops and activities for kids of all ages.

FILM CRITERIA
We program films with content that speaks positively to children, teens and families from diverse backgrounds. Please consider submitting if you have created work that can speak to all ages, including children and teens. This DOES NOT mean films should be dumbed down, simplified, or exclusively happy, positive stories. We celebrate and respect the creativity, intellect, and capacity for abstract thought that is inherent in childhood. Films may be entertaining and/or thought-provoking for children and teens, and may contain a wide range of emotions, as well as deep or nuanced themes about life and meaning.

LYCFF welcomes both short films and feature films of all types, including live action, animation, documentaries, foreign films with English subtitles, and experimental films that spark wonder, imagination, or a new perspective.

Films should not contain gratuitous violence or explicit nudity. Sexual content of any kind is not appropriate for our audience. Strong and/or repeated profanity will disqualify your film.

Awards & Prizes

We recognize the festival's best films with awards from our Youth Jury and our audience.

Our youth jury, made up of kids between the ages of 8-16, pick their favorite films to award in the following categories:
- Best Narrative Short Film
- Best Documentary Short Film
- Best Feature Film (Narrative or Documentary)
- Best Youth Made Film
- Kids' Wildcard (can be for anything our jury decides! Best Child Actor? Weirdest Animation? Funniest Talking Dog? Worst Dad Joke? Grossest Booger Montage?)

In addition to our Youth Jury Awards, we give our audience the chance to vote on their favorites in the following categories:
- Audience Favorite Short Film (Narrative or Documentary)
- Audience Favorite Feature Film (Narrative or Documentary)
- Audience Favorite Youth Made Film

Rules & Terms

The individual or entity submitting this film (“Filmmaker”) (1) warrants that it holds all necessary rights for the submission of this film for exhibition in the Like You Children's Film Festival ("LYCFF") and for use in related promotional and educational events prior to the festival and up to 12 months thereafter for screening in our year round programming for public and school based screenings. Filmmaker (2) shall indemnify and hold harmless LYCFF from and against any and all claims, costs, suits, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and court costs) by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, royalties, publicity and/or screening related to the film.

• All entries submitted must be suitable for children ages 18 and under.
• All entries whose original language is not English must be subtitled or dubbed in English.
• Films should not contain gratuitous violence, strong/frequent profanity, glamorized drug use, explicit nudity, or sexual content of any kind.

Entries may be disqualified for technical or procedural reasons, including:
• Any entry not subtitled or dubbed into the English language.
• Films and videos that are purely educational or instructional in nature.
• Films that are primarily advertising or promoting a particular brand, product, or organization.
• Films and videos that are aimed primarily at an adult audience.

Final acceptance decisions are made by the Festival Director with assistance from the programming team. These decisions are final and are not subject to appeal. Submission fees are non-refundable.

Final film format decisions of accepted films are solely decided by the Festival Director. We will make every effort to show on the best format, with the best resolution and sound quality. Exhibition formats and level of screening quality may change based on equipment availability and changes of venue.

LYCFF is granted the right to utilize and excerpt from any film or image submitted and accepted for exhibition at the festival, on the LYCFF website, and for promotional purposes.

All accepted short films are to be shown on a digital file. Filmmakers will be notified of exact format and specifications upon acceptance in the film festival.

LYCFF shall use best efforts to ensure correct title and credits are listed on festival materials but shall not be held liable for inadvertent errors and omissions. LYCFF reserves the right to adjust dates and times of film screenings and shall not be responsible for delays or cancellations due to equipment failure, shipping delays, inclement weather, the condition of the files delivered, or for any reason outside the control of LYCFF.

LYCFF reserves the right to decide all questions not specifically provided for herein.