The Youth International Film Festival, hosted by the Footcandle Film Society and the Greater Hickory International Council, is a showcase event to help expose school-age children to short films from around the world.

The festival selections are shown during as part of a special session during the annual Footcandle Film Festival in September 2022. Students from across the county's three public school systems and several independent/private schools are invited to attend the two-hour festival event. In past years, over 3,000 school children had a chance to see the variety of films that were selected.

The Greater Hickory International Council (GHIC) and the Footcandle Film Society of Catawba County are presenting the 10th Annual Youth International Film Festival (YIFF) with in-person screenings in September 2022. The emphasis is on children in 4th – 8th grades.

2021 Screening Schedule (to be finalized soon)

The focus of the GHIC is to promote cultural awareness of Catawba County’s diverse population. “It is important to highlight cultures from outside the United States and to work together to understand and accept the similarities and differences” said Hani Nassar, HIC Chair.

The 2022 YIFF films to be shown at the event will be announced at the end of July after all schools have approved their list.

“The mission of the GHIC is to act as a forum for the local and global international community and to act as a liaison between that community and the city government in order to promote goodwill, mutual understanding, cooperation, and respect among citizens.”

The 2022 Youth International Film Festival will give two awards out of this year's film selections:

1) A "Best International Youth Film" award of $500.00 USD, awarded to the film that a panel of Greater Hickory International Council members determine to be the best of the films selected;

2) An "Audience Favorite International Youth Film" award of $500.00 USD, awarded to the film that was voted to be the favorite by the audience in attendance for the event.

All film submissions must be suitable for children ages 9 through 14.
All films should be no more than 15 minutes in length.
If the language used in the film is not English, the film must be subtitled.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Alistair Kerr

    Wonderful to be involved in this festival.

    September 2022
  • Nitesh Parulekar

    Thank you so much for choosing my film for the festival.

    May 2021
  • Good ! I'm glad to be selected ! Well done !

    May 2021
  • Jacqueline Sánchez-Carrero

    Thank you for selecting our film.

    May 2021
  • I love that the CIFF decided to bring their festival into kids' homes this season, with a physical in-school festival not possible. Glad they carried on, and I appreciate their selecting my film, "Gabrielle"!
    (My lack of stars for Networking is only because N/A)

    June 2020