SCHLINGEL - International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences
The children's and youth film festival
Every year since 1996, the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences has attracted thousands of young and old cineastes from Chemnitz and the surrounding area to the CineStar at the Galerie Roter Turm in the week before the Saxon autumn holidays with extraordinary, brand new and diverse productions. Film teams accompany their productions to the Saxon city and answer questions from the audience after the screenings.
The next SCHLINGEL - International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences will take place from 27 September to 4 October 2025.
By the way...
The festival is under the patronage of the Saxon Prime Minister and co-organised by the Saxon State Institute for Private Broadcasting and New Media (SLM).
Rascal programme
At the heart of the SCHLINGEL programme are national and international competitions, including annually changing country focuses and non-competitive sections. They bring more than 150 films from all over the world to the screen, taking the audience on a journey to faraway lands with exciting, sensitive and thought-provoking stories far removed from the usual Hollywood clichés. Every year, around 900 long and short feature and animated films from over 70 countries compete for a place at the festival. At the end of the festival, children's, youth and expert juries select the winners of the respective categories and award SCHLINGEL trophies and prize money in the five-figure range.
Media education programmes
In addition to first-class film enjoyment, SCHLINGEL offers a sophisticated and varied supporting programme with panel discussions, lectures, workshops and exhibitions. The focus here is particularly on film and media education programmes for kindergartens, schools and after-school care centres, in which participants can gain an insight into topics such as film production, handling cameras and the like or writing reviews through practical tasks. Accredited trade visitors can also find out about the latest trends and issues relating to children's and youth film in seminars and forums and exchange ideas in lively discussions.
In addition to the annual organisation of SCHLINGEL, matinee tours have been established throughout Saxony. In this way, selected productions are also made accessible to a large audience outside of the festival. This goal is also pursued by various international film presentations of German productions, for example in China, Israel, Japan, Canada, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Maker interview
Michael Harbauer, Festival Director
What began in 1996 as a rather improvised children's film festival in the former "Haus Einheit" in Chemnitz is now one of the largest festivals of its kind in Europe. That's why Michael Harbauer, Managing Director of the Saxon Children's and Youth Film Service based in Chemnitz and creative head of the festival, is our Maker of the Week!