Applications are open for UNICEF Innocent Film Festival 2019. Children’s rights are timeless, but the circumstances of childhood have changed dramatically since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was signed in 1989. Great strides have been but complex new threats have also emerged. Far fewer children succumb to illness and malnutrition than ever before; yet, violence, the rise of technology, displacement and climate change introduce complex new threats that were undreamed of three decades ago. The CRC remains a vital global reference point to which all nations turn.

Films to be in the festival will promote deep reflection on narratives of childhood. The experiences that shape them – as individuals, in the family, the community, in institutions and societies. Further,  reflecting realities in the Global South and North.
Moreover, In the UNICEF Innocent Film Festival, emphasis will be on films and media. Further,  that authentically represent the thoughts, voices, and experiences of children themselves. While the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival has no age limits for entry. Also, in keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, special priority will be given to films and media that have been written, directed or developed by and/or with children, young people, and young adult artists.

Eligibility

• While the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival has no age limits for entry, in keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, special priority will be given to films and media that have been written, directed or developed by and/or with children, young people, and young adult artists
• Films to be in the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival are to be explicitly on a child or adolescent characters. Two categories for entry have been established:
  • General Entry: filmmakers and producers of any age can submit entries between 20 and 120 minutes duration.
  • Under 20: filmmakers and producers who have not passed their 21st birthday may submit entries of any duration.

UNICEF Innocenti will work with young people, the global network of UNICEF offices in 190 countries, Fondazione Sistemi Toscana and other partners to select and curate the festival program according to the above criteria.