The School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF), one of the world’s largest children’s film festivals, is set to return for its 10th edition on Children’s Day, November 14, bringing world cinema directly to classrooms across India.
This year, over 25,000 government schools and 550 private schools will host the festival, with an estimated 5-6 million children expected to participate. Scheduled until December 5, 2026, the festival will showcase 110 curated children’s films from 31 countries in 32 languages, introducing young audiences to diverse cultures, perspectives and experiences through international cinema.
Marking a decade of bringing cinema into classrooms, SCIFF 2026 will feature films associated with prestigious international film festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Sydney Film Festival, Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), Zlín Film Festival (Czech Republic) and Busan International Film Festival (South Korea). The curated collection will include fiction, documentaries, animation, experimental cinema and other cinematic forms, offering age-appropriate stories that encourage children to explore themes such as empathy, identity, relationships, mental well-being and social responsibility.
The festival will also witness international participation, with a delegation of Russian filmmakers and representatives from the Embassy of Russia in India joining SCIFF 2026. The delegation includes Nikolai Dann, Founder, ZeroPlus International Film Festival; Aleksandr Shkolenko, Creative Producer, ZeroPlus International Film Festival and Zeroplus.tv; and Peter Anatolyevich Ageev, Director of Film Pedagogy Development, Institute for the Development of Film and Media, Russia.
Representatives from the Russian Embassy include Yulia Aryaeva, Counsellor (Culture); Ekaterina Lazareva, Second Secretary; and Evgeny Antonov, Attaché. Their participation will further strengthen the festival’s emphasis on international cultural exchange and the role of cinema in connecting children across geographical and cultural boundaries.
Speaking about the festival, Syed Sultan Ahmed, Festival Director, School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF), and Founder & Chief Learner, LXL Ideas, said, “Children’s film festivals remain a rarity in India, and we have never built an organised culture of festivals for young audiences. For ten years, SCIFF has been driven by a simple belief: if children cannot go to film festivals, we must take film festivals to them. A good film lets a child step into another culture, feel another person’s emotions, and see the world through someone else’s eyes. In an age when children consume more content than ever, learning to watch thoughtfully is an essential life skill. Through WATCH, LEARN and MAKE, we help children move from passive viewers to curious thinkers and confident storytellers. I hope this festival becomes a milestone that inspires many more children’s film festivals across India, because the real magic of cinema is not what happens on the screen, but what it inspires in a child’s mind.”
The festival will also celebrate student creativity and school participation through SCIFF Honours 2026, recognising schools that demonstrate meaningful engagement with cinema, student leadership, innovative festival experiences and efforts to extend cinematic learning to underserved communities. The initiative aims to encourage schools to go beyond film screenings and create opportunities for students to discuss, reflect on and express their understanding of the stories they watch.
Additional Info
SCIFF offers students a comprehensive cinematic learning experience through its WATCH, LEARN and MAKE framework. WATCH transforms classrooms and school auditoriums into spaces for cinema, where students experience age-appropriate international films and engage in meaningful discussions. LEARN takes students behind the scenes of filmmaking through 10 expert-led online masterclasses covering storytelling, scriptwriting, cinematography, sound, editing and production, helping young learners understand the creative process. MAKE encourages students aged 7–18 to create original short films and participate in an international filmmaking competition, offering opportunities for recognition and participation in future SCIFF juries.
Submissions for MAKE Cinema will remain open until January 31, 2027.
For more information on SCIFF 2026, please visit:
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