Claire WinklerThe Film festival for children and young people in Hanover is one of the fixed cultural dates in the city's calendar of events. From the 8 to 18 March 2026 takes place with the Filmfest Sehpferdchen An international festival that focuses on young perspectives and at the same time invites adults to experience cinema together in a new way. Films will be shown in Hanover and the region that deal with themes of growing up, fantasy and social reality in an age-appropriate, polyphonic and open manner.
The festival is aimed at children from the age of four, young people, families, school classes and accompanying adults and interested parties. The Advance ticket sales for family and evening performances begin on 5 February 2026, School classes and groups can register in advance.
International children's and youth cinema in Hanover
In the Cinema in the Künstlerhaus (KoKi) in Hanover and in the Neue Schauburg Burgdorf the Hanover Film Festival for Children and Young People is showing a curated selection of international animated, feature and documentary films. Many of these productions are not shown in regular German cinemas. They tell stories of friendship, family, courage, parting and self-discovery and provide insights into different cultures, realities of life and visions of the future.
Imaginative stories meet documentary perspectives, quiet observations of everyday life meet larger social issues. The selection follows the aim of taking young viewers seriously and giving them space for their own thoughts and questions.
More than just a cinema visit: exchange and film discussions
The Sehpferdchen film festival sees itself not only as a film series, but also as a Media-educational festival format. Moderated film discussions take place for many screenings in the morning and afternoon. Children, young people and adults can talk directly to the moderators and, in some cases, to film-makers.
The focus is on dialogue: Questions about the film, characters or the making of the film are just as welcome as personal impressions and associations. This creates an intergenerational exchange that makes the cinema a place of shared experience and reflection.
The Sehpferdchen film school: practical film experience
An integral part of the festival is the Sehpferdchen film school. Here, school classes from the third year onwards are given the opportunity to become active themselves and get to know the basics of film. Using green screen technology, sound recordings and simple film techniques, participants discover how stories are told visually.
The film school adds a practical perspective to the film programme and promotes media skills and creative work. Participation is only possible after registration and is offered in addition to the cinema screening.
Age-appropriate programme for different target groups
The programme of the Hanover Film Festival for Children and Young People is clearly divided into age groups. There are moderated short film programmes without language for children from the age of four. For older children and young people, international feature films and documentaries are shown, some with live German narration or subtitles.
The day's programme is complemented by a Evening programme, which is primarily aimed at young people and adults. Questions of identity, self-discovery and social expectations are addressed in themed film series. The evening screenings open up additional perspectives on growing up and are also aimed at an adult audience not accompanied by children.
Festival venues in Hanover and the region
With the cinema in the Künstlerhaus in Hanover's city centre, the festival has a central venue with a cultural tradition. The Neue Schauburg in Burgdorf extends the festival into the region and gives additional target groups access to the programme.
This decentralised structure strengthens the Hanover Film Festival for Children and Young People as a regionally anchored cultural event and makes it easily accessible for visitors from the city and surrounding areas.
Admission prices and advance booking
The admission prices are low-threshold. Performances until 20:00 cost 5,00 Euro, Evening performances 8,00 Euro, reduced 5,00 Euro. Admission is free for accompanying teachers, educators and people with the HannoverAktivPass. Accompanying persons of people with disabilities also receive free admission.
The Advance booking for school classes and groups is already possible via an online form. Regular ticket sales for family and evening performances start on 5 February 2026.
An established festival with a history
The Sehpferdchen film festival was founded in Hanover in 1998 and has been held every two years ever since. Originating from the children's film work of the cinema in the Künstlerhaus and neighbourhood cultural work, the festival has established itself nationwide as a special format for young audiences. It combines high-quality international film art with educational support and cultural exchange.
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