Cinemira Film Festival 2026: A Week of Movies and Movie-Making for Kids in Budapest
Visiting Budapest with children during the autumn school break? From 24 to 31 October 2026, the Cinemira International Children’s and Youth Film Festival fills the city with stories, screenings and hands-on activities. Bella Ramsey stars in one of the festival’s most anticipated films, Michel Gondry brings an animated adventure, and the programme offers something for everyone from preschoolers to older teenagers.
A Film Festival Made for Young Audiences
Now in its ninth edition, Cinemira invites children and teenagers not just to watch films, but to discover how they are made. Alongside international features and more than 50 animated and live-action shorts, the programme includes workshops and opportunities to meet filmmakers.
The festival opens on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October at the Marczibányi Square Cultural Centre. Screenings and activities continue at venues around Budapest throughout the school break, before Cinemira returns to the cultural centre for a Halloween-themed closing day and awards ceremony on Saturday 31 October.
Bella Ramsey and Other Film Highlights
One of the big-screen draws is Sunny Dancer, a British coming-of-age film starring Bella Ramsey of The Last of Us and Game of Thrones. Ramsey plays a teenager recovering from cancer who reluctantly joins a summer camp for young people who have been through serious illness. What starts as a trip arranged by her parents becomes a summer of unexpected friendships and lasting memories. The pre-release screening is scheduled for Sunday 25 October at 6 p.m. at the Marczibányi Square Cultural Centre.
For something more whimsical, look out for Maya, Give Me Another Title, Michel Gondry’s animated follow-up to Maya, Give Me a Title. Inspired by stories he created for his daughter, the film turns childhood ideas into playful adventures. Cinemira’s screening takes place on Friday 30 October at 6 p.m. at the French Institute of Budapest.
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Japanese anime The Keeper of the Camphor Tree offers a more reflective story about a grieving young man whose life changes after an unusual offer. Its pre-release screening is scheduled for Sunday 25 October at 8 p.m. at the Marczibányi Square Cultural Centre. Younger monster fans, meanwhile, can meet Monster Mia, whose new school is full of monster children—and where she is the only human. That Halloween screening is set for Saturday 31 October at 3 p.m., at the same venue.
Another festival highlight is Mira, an award-winning Danish film about a creative young girl navigating friendship, first love and the pressure to fit in at school. It screens on Saturday 24 October at 4 p.m. at the Marczibányi Square Cultural Centre.
Step Behind the Camera
Cinemira gives children the chance to try filmmaking for themselves. The planned activities include stunt, film-dance and dubbing workshops, as well as a music-video-making session with Hungarian children’s musician Vilmos Gryllus. Visitors can also meet Hungarian director Gábor Herendi and create alongside Belgian animation director Vincent Bal.
If you are visiting with children of different ages, the short-film screenings are an inviting way into the festival. More than 50 animated and live-action shorts are grouped by age, with selections for children as young as three and for teenagers aged 16 and over. Children and students from across Hungary will help choose the Golden Squirrel Award winners, while professional and journalist juries will present their own awards.
Young filmmakers get their moment on screen, too. Audiences can watch finalists in the student-film and video competitions, while the shortlisted music videos are scheduled to screen at Dugattyús on Wednesday 28 October. Hungarian musicians Mehringer Marci and Sisi are among those helping to choose the winners.
Planning Your Visit
The Marczibányi Square Cultural Centre hosts the opening weekend, several featured screenings and the Halloween finale. Other events take place across Budapest, including at the French Institute of Budapest and Dugattyús. Before choosing a screening, check its language and subtitle information—especially if you are visiting with younger children—and confirm times and workshop availability as you plan your festival day.
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