Ji.hlava: Czech know-how for festivals around the world

Why we support the project

• the project brings abroad Czech know-how developed through the long-term work of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
• the Ji.hlava for Children and Ji.hlava Vibes programmes show how cultural events can meaningfully engage children and teenagers
• the workshop will help international, mostly European, festivals create their own programmes for young audiences and develop film literacy, creativity and critical thinking
• the project supports greater involvement of families in cultural life, helps challenge the idea that festivals are intended only for adults, and enables parents to return to cultural activities

About the project

The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival has long worked with the future generation of viewers. Its programme includes Ji.hlava for Children and Ji.hlava Vibes, which offer a daily festival programme for children from the age of three and for teenagers. In 2026, the programmes will take place for the ninth time, with more than 500 accredited children and young people taking part every year.

The programmes use methods of creative learning and experiential education. They offer workshops, creative studios, screenings, lectures, concerts and space for discussions on topics that children and young people are dealing with today. A special emphasis is placed on film education: helping children understand film, find their way through the flood of audiovisual content, develop their own creativity and think about the world critically and openly.

The project, entitled For Future Generations, aims to pass this experience on. From 2026 to 2028, a two-day workshop for 10 representatives of international film festivals selected through an open call will take place every year during Ji.hlava IDFF. On the first day, participants will go through the Ji.hlava for Children and Ji.hlava Vibes programmes themselves; on the second day, they will attend lectures and consultations with the organisers and expert collaborators.

The workshop will focus on the entire process of preparing a programme for children and teenagers — from the dramaturgical concept, pedagogical methods and the integration of children into a festival primarily intended for adult audiences to the legal protection of minors and the creation of a safe environment. It will also include a discussion on how the Ji.hlava model can be adapted to different conditions in individual countries.

The project should also result in a practical manual in English. It will summarise the methodologies of individual activities, provide recommendations for their implementation and point out common mistakes. The aim is for the number of festivals around the world, and especially in Europe, that include programmes for children and young people in their official dramaturgy to increase by 2029.

We supported the project as an example of Czech cultural know-how that can inspire international institutions while also contributing to the development of film literacy, critical thinking and greater openness of cultural events to families with children.