The Zlín Film Festival, the world’s oldest and largest gathering dedicated to cinema for children and young audiences, has unveiled the main competition line-up for its 66th edition (28 May - 3 June). The festival will open with the world premiere of the Czech family fantasy When Parents Turn Divine, the directorial debut of Adam Hobzík and Jan Chramosta. Shot partly in the Zlín Region, the film connects the contemporary world with Slavic mythology, dovetailing with this year’s broader focus on local heritage and the enduring legacy of Czech children’s cinema.

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Artistic director Markéta Pášmová stressed the importance of films that offer young viewers support, understanding and hope at a time of uncertainty and pressure. The programme connects themes of friendship, courage, faith and identity, while  notable prevalence of female protagonists – especially in the Youth Category – reflects broader trends in contemporary global production.

European works are strongly represented in the International Competition of Feature Films in the Children Category. Alongside the opening film, Zlín will host the world premiere of The Crystal Planet, an animated Czech-Croatian-Slovak co-production by Arsen Anton Ostojić, co-written by children’s author Eva Papoušková. German filmmaker Bernd Sahling returns to the festival with the world premiere of Koschka, aimed at the youngest viewers and centred on care, friendship and responsibility.

The section also includes Paul Negoescu’s Berlinale Generation Kplus Special Mention winner Atlas of the Universe, Sarah Goher’s Happy Birthday, John McPhail’s Grow, Marie Limkilde’s Mira, Rasmus A Sivertsen’s Rally from Paris to the Pyramids and French animated feature My Life in Versailles by Nathaniel H’Limi and Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat.

The Junior Category highlights European auteur approaches to youth cinema. Piotr Domalewski’s The Altar Boys explores friendship, faith, identity and the younger generation’s relationship to authority, all in a church setting. Other European entries include Sweden’s Bert by Manuel Concha, UK’s Ish by Imran Perretta and Italy’s Malavia by Nunzia De Stefano. Beyond European films, highlights include Hasan Hadi’s Cannes Caméra d’Or winner The President’s Cake, which brings young audiences into 1990s Iraq.

In the Youth Category, Irish director Lance Daly returns after 14 years with TRAD, a coming-of-age story powered by traditional Irish music. Slovak filmmaker Martin Gonda will present his feature debut Flood, set in 1980 against the backdrop of forced displacement caused by the construction of a reservoir. The section also includes Emilie Thalund’s San Sebastián New Directors award winner Weightless and Giorgos Georgopoulos’ Patty Is Such a Girly Name, among others.

The ZLINFEST PRO industry strand will broaden the festival’s focus on young audiences through education, sustainability and current production challenges. This year’s programme includes an international conference on cooperation models between children’s and youth film festivals and commercial and local partners, reflecting the search for sustainable financing in a shifting cultural landscape. Several sessions will address film and audiovisual education, from the use of digital games and game mechanics in classrooms to practical seminars on mobile audiovisual creation and interdisciplinary film-based teaching.

The 66th edition will also celebrate 90 years since the founding of the Zlín Film Studios in Kudlov, with the “Zlín Film Pioneers” talks and outdoor archival screenings connecting the studios’ legacy in animation, advertising and special effects with contemporary filmmaking. The full programme will be published on 10 May here.