The Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival is one of the few film festivals for children, that presents exclusively short films. It has developed out of a special programme of the International ShortFilmFestival Hamburg. In 1999 it became an independent festival and has grown ever since. Besides children it attracts also a professional international audience.

The festival programme addresses kids and teens between 4 and 18 years. Especially pupils and preschool children are invited to movie screenings which take place in the mornings.

The programmes are presented age-based. Foreign-languaged short films will be dubbed live in German. We try to invite as many national and international film makers as possible, who can answer children's questions concerning their films and projects. Festival's aim is to establish - in consideration of educational aspects - besides animations and short fictions also documentaries and experimentals, furthermore to intrigue children and to fire their imagination.

The festival awards three age-graduated prizes to consider the different tastes of different ages. Three juries made up entirely of children will be given the job of deciding which short film will win the Mo&Friese Awards and the 'Freischwimmer'. The Friese-Award will be given to a film for children aged four to eight by the Friese-Children’s-Jury (8-10 years), the Mo-Award will be given to one film for children aged nine to twelve, chosen by the Mo-Children’s-Jury (11-14 years) and 'Freischwimmer' will be given to a film for children aged 14 and older chosen by the FreiStil-Jury (14-18 years). The Mo-Award is sponsored by German children’s magazine GEOlino. Mo&Friese will be worth 1250 Euro and Freischwimmer 1000 Euro. The Awards ceremony takes place at the last day of the festival.

The workshops emphasise the educational character of the festival. Pupils (5th to 7th grades) will learn to film and will be instructed in film technology and filmic skills on one morning. The resulting short films will be premiered the last day of the festival.

Furthermore there's "HIGH FIVE!" our new competiton for children’s short films made by children. This competition addresses children not older than 13: individuals, grades of school, kindergarten groups... . The idea is to make a film that is not longer than 5 minutes that will be presented at next year’s festival. The topics changes annually. Entry Date is always March, the 15th.

The Festival is organised by the ShortFilmAgency Hamburg (KFA) and takes place in the course of the International ShortFilmFestival Hamburg (ISFF).

The Mo&Friese Children's ShortFilmFestival is a registered member of the International Centre of Film for Children and Young People (CIFEJ) and of the European Children's Film Association (ECFA).