Within the Family International festival of family and children’s films presents the best movies from around the world – more than 20 participant countries annually - for family audience. Our main goal is the popularization of films, which talk about love and faithfulness and keep the rebirth of family values as their general idea. The program of the festival includes three competitions – features (main), features and animation (for children) and shorts, as well as business and social events. This is the largest family film festival in Russia!

Since 2006 there have been eighteen festival editions organized in various Russian cities, attended by national and foreign celebrities, including Ornella Muti (Italy), Michele Placido (Italy), Denis Matsuev (Russia), Samy Naceri (France), Yuri Bashmet (Russia) and others.

Our festival was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in France (2012), Berlinale in Germany (2014) and Silk Road Festival in China (2015).
Throughout the years the festival has been a friendly meeting point for film industry professionals from all over the world, who come to watch, evaluate and present their films.

The president of the festival is an actor, producer, director and founder of the Nationwide program “Within the Family” - Aleksandr Kovtunets.

The XXI International festival of family and children’s films Within the family is scheduled for July 2026.

Awards & Prizes

Main Competition
• GRAND PRIZE of the Film Festival;
• Award for Best Directing;
• Award for Best Cinematography;
• Best Actress Award;
• Best Actor Award;
• Special Jury Award;
• People’s Choice Award.

Children's Films Competition
• Best Film Award;
• Award for Best Directing;
• Best Child Artist Award;
• People’s Choice Award.

Short Films Competition
• Best film;
• Best debut film;
• Best director;
• Best acting;
• Special jury prize.

* Please keep in mind: all awards of the Festival are not monetary.
* The Grand Prize/Best Film, Best Acting, Best Directing, Best DOP winners receive a trophy and a festival certificate. Special Jury Prize and People's Choice Award receive a festival certificate.
* Due to a fragile nature of the trophies, the festival does not ship them locally or internationally. The trophies are awarded to the filmmakers, who attend the festival in person.

Rules & Terms

Please read carefully before submitting your project:

All submissions are free of charge and do not require a personal fee waiver.

The projects submitted to the festival have the meet the following requirements:

* NO pornographic content
* NO extreme violence or horror content (horror films)
* NO LGBT propaganda
* Documentary films are not considered for selection.
* Multiple-episode projects (miniseries, TV-shows) are not considered for selection.
* Feature films runtime must be under 120 min.
* Production year can be as early as 2023 (priority is given to films that have not yet been screened or released in Russia)
* All submitted non-Russian films must have English subtitles.
* All selected films, Russian and foreign, must have English subtitles available.

If the film is selected for the competition:

* We contact the submitter personally over the phone or email.
* The submitter agrees not to withdraw the film from the festival once their film has been officially selected for the competition.
* The submitter MUST be the rights holder (or their legal representative) of the film they submit.
* The submitter agrees to provide the festival the rights for a single (1) non-commercial theatrical screening of their film. Multiple screenings are a subject of personal communication between the Festival and the Rights holder (submitter)
* The submitter MUST ensure that the SRT file (sent separately) timecodes match the dialogues in the final video file, which is provided to the festival for theatrical screening. !!!If this condition is not met, the Festival reserves the right to disqualify the film from participation!!!
* For festival screening we use either DCP or MP4 (Full HD, 5000+ bitrate).
* HD Trailer and Poster (PSD or 300dpi Jpeg) are a festival's requirement.

For all intents and purposes, Within the Family IFF is not commercial! We do not sell tickets and the entry to all screenings is free of charge.
11 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mauricio Valbuena

    Excellent festival, a fantastic experience, great communication, the festival's total willingness to help us film directors, very happy to have participated.

    July 2026
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  • Coşku Baş

    Some festivals simply screen films. Others create a space where filmmakers genuinely feel welcomed. This festival belongs to the second category.
    My short film Domino was honored to be selected as a finalist, but what I will remember most is not only the screening—it is the people behind the festival. Every question I had was answered with kindness, professionalism, and remarkable speed. That level of care is rare.
    A festival is defined not only by its program, but by the respect it shows to filmmakers and its audience. You have built both. Thank you for giving Domino a home and for proving that independent cinema is still driven by passionate people.
    I sincerely hope to return with my next film.

    With warm regards from Türkiye. See you again—with another story to tell.

    July 2026
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  • Joao Ricardo Costa

    Ótimo festival um dos mais importantes que participamos

    July 2026
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  • Zui Ying Picture

    I recommend the festival to everyone; they can make the film available to more families and children, giving you the most authentic on-site feedback.

    July 2026
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  • Juan Pablo Bornio

    It has been a tremendous pleasure to be part of your festival.

    On behalf of the entire team and myself, I would like to thank you for the selection of "Crazy Critters" and the award it received. It is an honor for us, and it certainly boosts the trajectory of both this short film and our future projects.
    It is a joy to know that cinema knows no borders and that a message can reach people even on the other side of the world; that is a truly moving feeling.

    July 2026
    Helpful