SIFFCY 2026
A SMILE FOUNDATION
INITIATIVE
The 12th edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), hosted by Smile Foundation, was held in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to India, with support from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. SIFFCY 2026 celebrated Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility through the power of meaningful cinema.
Scheduled from 28 January to 3 February 2026 in New Delhi and across multiple locations nationwide, this year’s edition featured Poland as the Country of Honour and the Netherlands as the Country of Focus.
Designed as a hybrid festival, SIFFCY 2026 engaged both in-person and virtual audiences. Key events, including the opening and award ceremonies, were held at the PHD House Auditoriums, New Delhi, from January 28 to 31, 2026. Alongside this, screenings and related outreach activities took place throughout the week across multiple locations in India in collaboration with local schools and community partners. A curated selection of films were also available on SIFFCY’s secure, geo-blocked virtual platform, enabling wider national and international participation throughout the week.
FESTIVAL THEME: INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, ACCESSIBILITY & EQUITY
This year, SIFFCY championed the values of Inclusion, Diversity, Accessibility, and Equity, with the support of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The festival celebrates cinema as a transformative medium that nurtures empathy and gives voice to diverse perspectives, while ensuring that every young person—irrespective of ability or background—can access enriching cultural experiences.
In alignment with this theme, a dedicated day featuring multiple workshops and panel discussions was organized to encourage dialogue, awareness, and inclusive engagement. Through powerful films and meaningful conversations, SIFFCY continues its journey toward shaping a more compassionate, inclusive, and equitable future.
FOCUS NETHERLANDS
Each year, SIFFCY spotlights a nation through a dedicated country focus. The 12th edition presented Focus Netherlands, celebrating the best of Dutch cinema for young audiences, curated in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, New Delhi. This initiative fosters cultural exchange by showcasing stories that reflect shared values, traditions, and creative expression through cinema.
COUNTRY OF HONOR: POLAND
SIFFCY 2026 proudly honoured Poland as the Country of Honor. In collaboration with the Polish Institute, New Delhi, the festival hostd a special Polish Day, featuring multiple Polish films and engaging sessions throughout the week. This ongoing partnership reflects SIFFCY’s commitment to strengthening cultural ties through cinematic dialogue.
CELEBRATING GERMAN, FINNISH AND CZECH CINEMA
Continuing its association with SCHLINGEL International Film Festival, Germany, SIFFCY brings a handpicked selection of German films for Indian audiences. The festival also partners with the Embassy of Finland in India to present a curated showcase of Finnish cinema. And Embassy of the Czech Republic to curate films from the country.
Watch this space for the detailed schedule of the 12th edition of the festival.
Background
SIFFCY is the flagship initiative of Smile Foundation, one of India’s leading charitable organizations, dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering young minds through meaningful cinema. Alongside film screenings, the festival offers workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses, and interactive sessions. Each year, SIFFCY attracts thousands of filmmakers, professionals, and cinephiles from across the world, with over 50,000 young attendees at physical venues.
In 2026, the festival reached over 500,000 young audiences across 100+ locations in India simultaneously through its week-long festival. The festival showcased 150+ films from 50+ countries and organised 20+ workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions. Over 50 national and international industry professionals from 12 countries participated in person, alongside 90+ young jurors from 9 countries, making the festival truly global in spirit.
(For more information, visit www.smilefoundationindia.org | www.siffcy.org)
INT'L COMP SHORTS
Media Professor, Chair of the School of Cinematic Arts at Effat University
Mohamed Ghazala is an associate professor of animation and chair of the School of Cinematic Arts at Effat University in Saudi Arabia. He is Vice President of the International Animated Film Association and founded its first chapter in Africa and the Arab world. Ghazala has directed and co-directed numerous award-winning films, including Carnival, Crazy Works, Hm Hm, Sayari Yetu, Salma, Honyan’s Shoe, and The Pyramid. His films have
been recognized globally, earning awards such as the Animation Prize at the African Movie Academy Awards, top animation honors at the Egyptian National Film Festival, and nominations at festivals including AMAA, Red Sea International Film Festival, Annie Awards, Annecy, Zagreb, and more. He has served as a jury member for leading international animation festivals across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and has lectured at film and animation schools worldwide, including Jilin Animation Institute, Cologne Academy of Media Arts, Nafti Ghana, Durban Art & Animation Center, and Antioquia University. In addition to his filmmaking, Ghazala has authored influential books on animation, including Animation in the Arab World and Animation in Africa, and contributed chapters to reference works such as Animation World History and Animation in the Middle East.
Founder & Festival Director Shocking Pink Endorphins, Venice
Laura Aimone (www.aim-one.it/eng) graduated in foreign languages and literatures and studied film history at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and at Mount Holyoke College in the United States. She has been working for international Film Festivals since 2004, collaborating with some of the most important ones such as the Biennale of Venice, the Berlinale, the Giffoni Film Festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival in Scotland, the Ajyal
Film Festival in Qatar, the Film Festival&Awards Macao in China and the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. Specialized in films from the Arabic speaking area of the Gulf, she also works as program consultant for different Film Festivals among which the Middle East Now in Florence. She curated dedicated film focuses, took part in talent labs and was a member of the jury for Festivals in Italy, UK, Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Morocco, Armenia, Bangladesh, U.S.A. and Tasmania. She invented and directs “Shocking Pink Endorphins”, a festival on films about women and sports that takes place in Venice and is currently in its ninth edition. The Carnival of Life, which she wrote and directed in 2019, is her first film. Laura chose to live in Venice, when she is not travelling around the world.
Laura Aimone (www.aim-one.it/eng) graduated in foreign languages and studied film history at the University of Copenhagen and at Mount Holyoke College (U.S.A.). She has been working for international Film Festivals since 2004 (Biennale of Venice, Berlinale, Giffoni, Edinburgh Film Festival, Ajyal Film Festival Qatar, Film Festival&Awards Macao, Red Sea Film Festival Saudi Arabia). She invented and directs “Shocking Pink Endorphins”, a festival on films about women and sportsin its 9th edition in Venice, Italy. She was on the jury of Film Festivals in Italy, Switzerland, UK, Slovakia, Morocco, Bangladesh, U.S.A., Tasmania. The Carnival of Life, which she wrote and directed in 2019, is her first film.
Film educator & producer
Founder and director of the children’s film festival LaMatattena, Mexico
Degree in Social Communication. Founder and Director of the International Film Festival for Children (…and not so Children) in Mexico for 27 years and also of La Matatena, Association of Film for Girls and Boys, A.C.
Film producer made by children, specialist in the production, design and creation of methodologies to teach and introduce kids to the world of moving images to impulse them to make their own short films.
In 2021, La Matatena, AC, received the Medal of Arts from the local Chamber of Deputies of Mexico City, in recognition of the entire team of the association, for our work in favor of cultural rights. of girls, boys and youth in our City. I also consider myself a defender of the children rights.
Film Journalist, Special Correspondent – The Times of India
Niharika Lal is currently working as a Special Correspondent with The Times of India. She covers cinema, moviegoing, film festivals, and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, among other beats for the publication. She has been reporting on the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on the ground for the past nine years, along with several other film festivals held across the country.
She has been associated with The Times of India, for the past 12 years, and also covers international film festivals for the paper.
Firdoze Bulbulia is a distinguished leader in film production, directing, and training, with a career spanning multiple media forms and continents. She holds an MA in African Studies from Ohio University, USA, a BA Honours in Dramatic Arts from WITS University, South Africa, and a Licentiate in Drama from Trinity College, UK. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Art, Design, and Architecture.
Renowned for her award-winning work across feature films, documentaries, animations, and theatre, Firdoze is also the host of The FShow, an online platform that engages with contemporary and political issues through conversations with prominent global voices.
As Chairperson of The Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa (CBFA), she hosted the 5th World Summit on Media for Children in 2007 and has produced a wide array of multimedia content for radio and television, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of women and children. She served two terms as President of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People (CIFEJ) and co-founded Africa’s Best Channel (ABC), a children and youth television network in Nigeria, as well as the African Animation Studio (AAS), dedicated to Pan-African animation.
Her filmography is extensive and diverse, including six feature films and numerous documentaries, notably the legacy feature Mandela’s Africa on former President Nelson Mandela, and the feature-length documentary A Song for Refugees, which was showcased at Pavilion Afriques during the Cannes Film Festival 2023. Firdoze has also held significant leadership roles as Festival Director of The Nelson Mandela Children’s Film Festival and, previously, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (2019). As an executive member of the Pan-African Film Consortium (AFC), she continues to shape film and media on a global scale while remaining deeply rooted in Pan-African perspectives.
Firdoze Bulbulia’s career reflects her extraordinary talent, vision, and commitment, positioning her as a transformative force in African and international theatre, film and media.