The 25th International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults in Esfahan, Iran, is hosted this year from the 14th till the 18th of November.

The festival aims at brining together and promoting films and videos from all over the world with special attention to children’s film and young viewers. The festival focuses on upgrading families’ understanding of children and young adults ideas and concepts, and helping them acquire a better knowledge of educational issues and proper modes of dealing with children. It also aims at drawing the attention of filmmakers and scholars to their world while enabling children to acquire a better understanding of film art and appreciation.

Guests and jurors get the chance to visit Tehran with screenings in the Museum of Cinema, where children get to watch films while learning about the history of Iranian cinema and the technical developments of cinema in the region.

Museum of Cinema in Tehran

Later on, guests and jurors travel to the city of Isfahan for the rest of the screenings and the closing award ceremony. A warm relationship is shared between children and film experts where, this time, adults get to learn more about the life and struggles of a young generation with a lot to express.

The festival sections include:

• Competition of International Cinema with Live Action Films in all three categories (full length, medium length and short films).
• Competition of Animation films also in all three categories.
• Special Screenings that include Survey of French Animations, Day of Polish Films, Literary Adaptations and Films in Islamic Countries.

At the closing ceremony ten Golden Butterfly Prizes are awarded for:

• Best Full Length film (to the producer)
• Best Direction for a Full Length Film
• Best Film Script- Best Adapted Script
• Best Short Film (to the director)
• Best Performance by a Young Performer
• Best Creative Technical or Artistic achievements
• Best Asian Feature Film- Special Jury prize (to the director)

Also, the prize of Mohammad-Al-Durrah will be awarded by the festival director to the best work with the theme of child and resistance.

An international jury among films artists and critics active in the field of intellectual development of children and young adults are to evaluate separately live action films in the international competition.

Kids are not only the subject matter of films but they have an active role; there are 26 Children and Young adults from 14 countries to evaluate separately the animation films in the international competition and award three Golden Butterfly Prizes to the Best Full Length Animation – Best Short or Medium Length Animation and The Special Jury Prize.

Some of the children jurors getting ready to rest after a long day of watching animation films.

These young filmmakers-to-be and film critics are experienced in the filed of cinema varying from actors, filmmakers, and critics, and many have been jurors in acclaimed festivals like the Giffoni Film Festival.

A week in two different cities of Iran, showcasing films with themes about the effects of divorce, wars, miscommunication, poverty and others on children for the adults to learn from along with beautiful fairytales and mythologies animated for the pleasure of the young audiences.