The Bright Foundation is thrilled to be the Community Partner for the Children's International Film Festival coming to Hastings in June 2026!

The festival celebrates young film makers under the age of 16. The inaugural festival was held in Kingston in 2025 and will be expanding to Hastings next year. 

On Thursday 18 June 2026 there will be a one-day festival taking place across Hastings for school children to take part in filmmaking workshops with industry professionals, and watch screenings of films made by young people, ending with an awards ceremony. 

You can view the video all about the 2025 festival and with details of what to expect next year below.

Deadline for expressions of interest is 5pm on 19th December

This is a unique opportunity for the children of Hastings, Rye and the villages to be involved in an exciting initiative engaging with the film industry through interactive workshops, awards and presentations. BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, will be part of next year’s festival. As a Friend of the Festival, last year BAFTA welcomed children from a number of schools to a dedicated game design workshop as part of a wider range of masterclasses, workshops, screenings and events. 

CIFF is supported and championed by key stakeholders across the film industry. The event showcases films submitted from all over the world, enabling children to see their creations on the big screen.

The Bright Foundation Schools Offer

As part of our 2025–26 Schools Offer, The Bright Foundation will support local schools in developing and submitting their film projects.  For more information on this please see here.

To receive an info pack and join the mailing list to be part of the festival, email office@thebrightfoundation.org.uk with your School name, your position and contact details.