"Der besondere Kinderfilm"

German children's films are doing well – and badly at the same time: film adaptations of successful novels and novel series for young audiences, such as ‘Die Schule der magischen Tiere’ (The School of Magical Animals), are successful at the box office and contribute significantly to the economic stability of German cinema. But apart from this safe bet of family entertainment, there are fewer and fewer children's and youth films with independently told stories that address the everyday lives of kids. In order to improve this deficit in terms of content and artistic quality, the initiative ‘Der besondere Kinderfilm’ (The Special Children's Film) was launched in 2013 and has since written a remarkable success story. Films developed and produced under this funding model are not based on brands or literary works and are closely linked to the realities of children's lives. They serve different genres and contribute to increasing the diversity of films available to young audiences. By 2025, a total of 14 film projects had been completed, receiving more than 110 national and international awards, including three German Film Awards (Lolas) for best children's film. Our collection includes a selection of ‘special children's films’ that impressively showcase their unique qualities, and not only in the cinema.