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From the festival

Announcements, interviews and stories from our team and community writers.

The first stages check fit and basics, not who will eventually win.

A plain-language walkthrough of how a film moves from submission to a winner announced at the Awards Gala.

It outlasts the festival year, and it changes how a profile reads to anyone who visits it later.

A film, a category and a crew role are different judging questions, not one.

When your audience spans a 4-year-old and a 14-year-old, the runtime matters less than the pace.

Our 2027 guest country is Iran — home of Kanoon and the humanist, child's-eye style that won prizes at Cannes and a place at the Academy Awards.

A 10-minute short can do everything a feature can — minus the risk of losing a restless 6-year-old halfway through.

Screenings and events take place at North York Civic Centre, York Woods Library Theatre and Toronto City Hall.

The festival returns to Toronto from September 24 to October 3, 2027, with free submissions now open.

Send us your animation, documentary, short, feature or series. There is no entry fee in any category.

Our new festival symbol: grandparents, parents and five kids who love stories.

Not every children's film wraps up neatly — and that's often the point.