An animated adventure with the little bear Bamse saving the ocean, the Czech-Slovak fairy tale Princess a Hundred Times Different and the cult animated romance Your Name, returning to cinemas after ten years – this quartet of titles will form the Children’s Films section at the 32nd IFF ART FILM Košice (19 – 25 June 2026). Families with children can also look forward to a Sunday afternoon in Kulturpark park with the fairy-tale duo Mojko and Kajka, presented by TV Jojko.
The Children’s Films section is traditionally curated by the festival’s programme department for young audiences aged roughly 6 to 15. This year’s selection combines a big family animated adventure, an adventurous fairy tale and an animated classic for teenagers and parents alike. Screenings will take place mostly in the morning at the Kulturpark JOJ Cinema and at Kino Úsmev in the centre of Košice; the accompanying family event will be held in the open air directly in Kulturpark park.
Bamse and the Secret of the Sea – a Swedish adventure of the little bear who saves the ocean
An animated story about what it feels like to be alone and misunderstood, but also about the joy of finding someone who understands us. A great adventure takes the little bear Bamse, Little Hop and the Armoured One out to the open sea, to the other side of the globe and deep down to the ocean floor. They are confronted by Captain Buster, who longs to win the title of Terror of All Seas, and by the biggest sea monster the world has ever seen. The film by Swedish director Christian Ryltenius is another instalment in the popular series about the little bear Bamse, who has been known in Sweden for several generations – IFF Art Film also brought his adventures in 2019, 2023 and 2024. The film will be screened with Slovak dubbing in the cinema; screenings take place on Monday 22 June and Wednesday 24 June at 10:00 a.m. at the Kulturpark JOJ Cinema. Recommended age: 6+.
Princess a Hundred Times Different – a Czech-Slovak fairy tale about transformations and self-belief
Princess Stella wakes up every day in a different form. She has one week left until her eighteenth birthday – if a cure is not found, her transformations will remain forever. The young shepherd and unlikely hero Johan sets out to find the cure that will help the princess; Stella secretly joins him so that they can together face dangers as well as the wrath of Emperor Ukrut and his aide Ramon. This cheerful and adventurous Czech-Slovak fairy tale by director Miloslav Šmídmajer pulls children and adults alike into a powerful story full of transformations and heroes. The cast includes Ema Businská, Filip Březina, Ján Koleník, Martin Stránsky, Zuzana Fialová, Patrície Solaříková, Martin Myšička, Martina Preissová, Tomáš Weber, Jaroslav Plesl, Petr Nárožný, Martin Mňahončák, Danica Jurčová and others. Slovak distributor: Continental Film. Screenings on Tuesday 23 June and Thursday 25 June at 10:00 a.m. at the Kulturpark JOJ Cinema. Recommended age: 7+.
Your Name – the return of Makoto Shinkai’s cult animated romance after ten years
Mitsuha lives in a small mountain town and dreams of life in Tokyo. Taki is a high-school student from Tokyo who feels lost in the bustle of the big city. When one day they wake up in each other’s body, a strange bond is forged between them – an intricate game of dreams, memories and coincidences. With each further switch, their lives become more deeply intertwined, until the moment the connection suddenly disappears. Taki sets out to find the girl he has never met, yet who has captured his heart. This captivating cinematic poem about memory, loss and the longing for connection by the visionary director Makoto Shinkai is returning to cinemas ten years after its release – and it heads to Art Film as a celebration of the anniversary of a film that resonated with an entire generation of anime fans. Slovak distributor: Asociácia slovenských filmových klubov. Screening on Sunday 21 June at 2:30 p.m. at Kino Úsmev. Recommended age: 12+.
TV Jojko presents: Mojko and Kajka – a Sunday family afternoon in Kulturpark park
A family accompanying programme for the youngest viewers will offer a fairy-tale afternoon with the duo Mojko and Kajka on Sunday 21 June at 3:00 p.m. in Kulturpark park. The little bear Mojko was born with a special mark, a tiny heart on his face, and his superpower is giving warm hugs full of love and understanding. He has one secret dream, however – to become a singer. From time to time, though, he is overcome by worries, fear and shyness. To help him comes the smiling, brave and optimistic Kajka, who is determined to help Mojko gather the courage to fulfil his dream. Whether they manage to organise a big concert is something families with children will find out directly in the park. The event is presented by TV Jojko, admission is free.
IFF Art Film 2026 will take place from 19 to 25 June 2026 in Košice. Cinepasses and tickets for individual screenings of the children’s section are available at aff.cinepass.sk.
The 32nd IFF ART FILM is made possible thanks to the support of:
Main organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Co-organizers: Mesto Košice, K13 – Košické kultúrne centrá, Visit Košice, ART FILM FEST, n.o.
With the financial support of: Audiovizuálny fond
The project was co-financed by the Košice Self-governing Region from the Terra Incognita program
Main partners: CODES Brand House, H2O FUND SICAV
Automotive partner: AUTO-VALAS
Official hotel: Hotel Yasmin
Main media partners: TV JOJ, Pravda, Eurotelevízia
Sponsors: U. S. Steel Košice, ANTIK Telecom, Kino Úsmev, LOKO TRANS Media, CORE Labs, Technická univerzita v Košiciach
Technological partners: NOV, ZEBRA, Deutsche Telekom Systems Solutions Slovakia, DELTA OnLine, ARICOMA, Datacomp
Official suppliers: DKC Veritas, PLOOM, DOMOS SLOVAKIA, Reštaurácia Contessa, Natura, Kinley, Julius Meinl, Aupark Shopping Center Košice
Media partners: JOJ play, JOJ 24, Film Europe Media Company, Rádio KOŠICE, Aktuality.sk, Forbes, Startitup.sk, Korzár, Slovenka, SITA, TASR, Mediaboard, AHOJ TV, See & Go, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD, Filmsk.sk, BigMedia, Kino Sterio, Košice City Guide, Košice V Skratke, MOJAkultura.sk, diva.sk, koktejl.sk, zenskyweb.sk
Partners: JOJ Cinema, Jojko, Slovenský filmový ústav, DDDental, CK TUI ReiseCenter Slovensko, Taper, ECO Technologies, Letisko Košice, Rent2Eat, CPK Transport, iWish.sk, Kvety Garomi, Hair Factory Košice, LOCAL NOMAD, MIHYRING
Gastronomic partners: Pub u Kohúta, OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar, MAIKO SUSHI, Kaviareň Slávia, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe, Macarons Košice
