The 66th edition of the Zlín Film Festival will open later this month with a strong emphasis on Czech productions and international stories aimed at younger audiences, as organizers unveiled the main competition titles for this year’s event. Running from May 28 to June 3, the festival will once again position itself as a key European showcase for children’s and youth cinema, bringing nearly 300 films from 56 countries to the Moravian city.
Among the headline titles is the animated co-production The Crystal Planet, a Czech-Croatian-Slovak project from director Arsen Anton Ostojić that will make its world premiere in Zlín. Produced by Prague-based Alkay Animation Prague and co-written by Czech author Eva Papoušková, the film is one of several Czech-backed productions featured prominently across the festival’s three main competition strands.
Festival organizers said this year’s selection reflects the uncertainty facing younger generations while highlighting stories centered on friendship, courage, identity, and resilience. Artistic director Markéta Pášmová noted that the lineup spans countries ranging from Brazil and Egypt to Iraq and South Korea, offering audiences perspectives rarely seen in mainstream theatrical programming for younger viewers.
Czech productions lead the children’s competition
The festival’s International Competition of Feature Films in the Children Category will open with the world premiere of When Parents Turn Divine (pictured at top), the fantasy debut from directing duo Adam Hobzík and Jan Chramosta. Shot partly in the Zlín Region, the film combines contemporary family storytelling with Slavic mythology and has been positioned as one of the festival’s flagship domestic productions.
Alongside it, The Crystal Planet stands out as one of the most ambitious Czech animation projects in this year’s lineup, and features an English-language voice cast that includes Oscar-winners Jeremy Irons and Vanessa Redgrave. Set on an unknown planet, the film combines fantasy adventure with large-scale European co-production financing, reflecting the increasing internationalization of Czech animation.
The children’s competition includes films from 12 countries, many of which tackle social and emotional themes through accessible storytelling. Among the notable entries are Happy Birthday from Egyptian director Sarah Goher, which explores friendship across class divides, and Atlas of the Universe, a Romanian-Bulgarian road movie from director Paul Negoescu focused on perseverance and childhood adventure.
German filmmaker Bernd Sahling also returns to Zlín with Koschka, another world premiere that uses animal care as a framework for themes of responsibility and empathy. Other competition titles include the British film Grow, Danish feature Mira, and the Norwegian animated adventure Rally – from Paris to the Pyramids.
The prominence of Czech productions extends beyond the competition itself. Organizers said the wider festival program will also commemorate major milestones in Czech cinema history, including the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Zlín film studios and the centenary of screenwriter Miloš Macourek.
International lineup reflects changing youth cinema trends
The festival’s junior and youth competitions continue the event’s focus on auteur-driven films exploring adolescence, identity, and social pressure through diverse cultural perspectives. Several selections place female protagonists at the center of their narratives, something organizers described as a reflection of current global production trends rather than a deliberate curatorial strategy.
In the junior competition, Brazilian feature Gugu’s World from director Allan Deberton examines adolescence within a socially divided environment, while Polish drama The Altar Boys from Piotr Domalewski explores faith and authority through the perspective of young church assistants.
One of the section’s most distinctive entries is The President’s Cake, directed by Hasan Hadi. Set in 1990s Iraq, the film follows a young girl navigating political and economic hardship, bringing a rarely depicted cultural setting into youth-oriented cinema.
The youth competition features several established festival filmmakers alongside emerging directors. Irish filmmaker Lance Daly returns to Zlín with TRAD, a coming-of-age story built around traditional Irish music and generational conflict. Slovak co-production The Flood, directed by Martin Gonda and co-produced with Czech partners, revisits forced displacement in 1980s Czechoslovakia through the perspective of young protagonists.
South Korean director Yoon Ga-eun, whose previous work has screened at the festival, rounds out the section with The World of Love, a drama focused on peer relationships and social expectations among teenagers.
Beyond the competition program, this year’s edition will continue expanding its industry activities under the ZLINFEST PRO platform, which combines networking events, youth talent initiatives, and discussions around mental health and audiovisual education. Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Czech company Maurfilm will also receive this year’s Honoring the Greats recognition, highlighting the festival’s growing emphasis on animation and international industry collaboration.
As the world’s longest-running film festival dedicated to children and youth cinema, the Zlín event continues to serve as an important launch platform for European family films and emerging talent. This year’s lineup suggests Czech productions, particularly in fantasy and animation, will remain central to that mission.
For more details and a full lineup of films, visit the official Zlín Film Festival website.
