*SUBMISSIONS OPENING ON FEBRUARY 1!*
Mark your calendars as KINEKO is coming back for its 33rd edition to be held in the autumn of 2026.
Accepting worldwide submissions for children and teens!

Founded in 1992, KINEKO International Film Festival is the largest film festival for children and teens in Asia that welcomes over 125,000 visitors to the screenings and other events every November.
The festival introduces opportunities for Japanese children to foster their aesthetic
sensibility by coming into contact with films and animations from all around the world and offers a variety of workshops, events and experiences for families to enjoy.
One of the highlights and most unique features is "Live Cinema", live Japanese voice-over performed by professional voice actors, allowing even small children who cannot read subtitles yet to enjoy international films.

Since 2016, the festival has been held every year in Futakotamagawa, a town in Tokyo which strikes a balance between a modern shopping arcade and nature with broad riverbanks and greenery.
Even the littlest ones can feel at home at the main screening venue equipped with comfy sofas, floor mats and cushions, while older visitors and movie fans can make encounters with a handpicked selection from all over the world at a conventional cinema. The teen program is screened at local pubs and cafés, allowing for deep post-screening discussions among the audience.
Apart from the film program, KINEKO offers an extensive variety of activities for families such as a marche with booths by numerous partner companies and organizations, workshops, stage and music events, street performances, camp activities with a focus on sustainability and disaster prevention, or open air cinema.

Awards & Prizes

[CHILDREN SECTION]
Best Feature Film for Children
Selected by KINEKO Children Jury (10-12 years old).

Best Short Film for Children
Selected by KINEKO Children Jury (10-12 years old).

[TEEN SECTION]
Best Feature Film for Teens
Selected by KINEKO Teen Jury (13-18 years old).

Best Short Film for Teens
Selected by KINEKO Teen Jury (13-18 years old).

[DOCUMENTARY AWARD]
Selected from international and Japanese documentary films.

[BEST FEATURE/SHORT FILM FROM JAPAN]
Presented to the best Japanese feature and short film by International Professional Jury (film festival directors, educators, filmmakers, etc.)

Rules & Terms

General Public Competition Entry Requirements
PARTICIPATION REGULATIONS
【Production Year】 Films made after January 2024.
【Production Country】 Worldwide.
【Language】 English subtitles are required for non-English films.
【Category】 Feature/Animation/CG etc. All genres.
Produced for 1-12 year old children (Children Section)/13-18 year old teens (Teen Section).
Suitable for 1-12 year old children (Children Section)/13-18 year old teens (Teen Section).
Children Section: "Films that entertain both grownups and children together. Films that grownups want children to watch."
Teen Section: "Films with an important message for the youth who support our future. Films narrated from a youth perspective."
【Length】 Any.
【Screening Fee】 Not applicable.
Final Deadline: June 12th, 2026 (Friday)
※Please understand beforehand that application materials are not returnable.
※Applicant is responsible for any shipping charges and costs related to the provision of necessary materials.

SELECTION NOTIFICATION
Please note that only selected films will be contacted via email.
※Please make sure that your e-mail address is entered accurately when applying.

WAIVER POLICY
Waiver requests are accepted until the “earlybird deadline” (March 10th) ONLY.
In case of requesting a waiver, please send the following information and an online screener link directly to entry@kineko.jp.

Film title:
Production country:
Production year:
Runtime:
Category (children feature/children short/teen feature/teen short/documentary):
Target age:
Is your film suitable for children and/or teens?
Why is your film suitable for children and/or teens?
Reason for requesting a waiver:
Screener link:
Contact person:
Contact e-mail address:

Only films suitable for children and teens will be considered. Please do not submit films targeting adult audience (including violence, abusive language, etc.).
Please kindly note that waiver requests which do not conform to the aforementioned format will be disregarded.
7 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Carlo Padilla

    It was an absolute honor to be included in this year's lineup of films. The entire KINEKO team is wonderful and went above and beyond to make our trip to Japan special. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to celebrating films that speak to young audiences!

    November 2025
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  • Chih-Li Chang

    Thanks for selecting our film “Space Station Village EP8: Miss You to the Stars”. We were very touched when the film was dubbed live in Japanese. The well-organized festival, the courtesy staff, and the add-on Hospital Project were impressive a lot.
    Kineko is the best platform for any producer or director to submit innovative or diverse children/teen films. Of course, We will continuously submit our new films for the KIKO 2025.

    November 2024
    Helpful
  • Cinemazul .

    Grandioso festival, super recomendado, una gran experiencia ser parte de su selección oficial.

    November 2024
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  • Daud Nugraha

    The most amazing Festival ever! It's really well organized and I could see that it's done with so much love. I was very touched because my film was dubbed live in Japanese. Thank you so much, Kineko! Looking forward to come to the festival in person!

    July 2023
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  • Bakul Matiyani

    A big thank you from the entire team of the short film "Smile Please". Such a joy to discover a festival that does so much to cater to its audience. The live translations are the stand out feature of the festival making films from different cultures accessible to the children of Japan. Makes me jealous that something like this doesn't exist in India and more countries around the world especially for children's films. Thank you for everything Kamila and the entire festival team.

    November 2022
    Helpful